Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

[Hicks]

First up is the coach.

These are all about how you feel right now.

[Speed]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

Only reason I didn't say Very Uncomfortable was I'm not sure who you get to replace him and timing. Timing in that I'm not sure it's time to make a big coach splash when they are still a couple of years away from being relevant.

[Hitman02]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

Honestly, it feels like next season will be a lost season. Yea I'm being negative, but it's how I'm feeling with this team.

Ironic when they're playing so well right now.

[Roaming Gnome]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

I'm very uncomfortable in the way that he has gone about developing talent when there is virtually no reason to do anything but seeing what we have. I just fear next year Josh and AJ will reacquire DNP-CD's and their seats at the end of the bench. The only thing that stops me from rating him very uncomfortable is the chance that next year is going to be another "burn year" on the road to the summer of 2011.

[OakMoses]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

I had to vote 'not sure' because I don't have enough access to the team to know how the players are responding to O'Brien.

The way they're playing now looks a lot like how they played last season. Things are clicking fairly well and everybody's playing hard. If this is indicative of how next season would look with a fully healthy Granger, then I'm comfortable with O'Brien.

If the Pacers we saw for the first 60 games of the year is more indicative of where the players are at with O'Brien, then I'm uncomfortable.

[Shade]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

I would rather have Isiah Thomas back.

Notice the distinct lack of green text...

[Bball]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

I would rather have Isiah Thomas back.

Notice the distinct lack of green text...

I'm with you... And as soon as Isiah was back I'd want him fired. So that should tell you what I think of Jim O'Brien's 'coaching'.

I'm fine with letting Lester Conner coach. That's not so much a ringing endorsement as my new motto:
Anyone but Jim O'Brien

[count55]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

Only reason I didn't say Very Uncomfortable was I'm not sure who you get to replace him and timing. Timing in that I'm not sure it's time to make a big coach splash when they are still a couple of years away from being relevant.

I consider this a major issue. You're not going to get any big names to even sniff at this job, and I seriously doubt that you'd be able to pull any of the hot assistants until the direction of the talent can be sorted out.

If they fire O'Brien, you should be prepared to welcome Lester Conner or others of his ilk as his replacement, IMO.

I had to vote 'not sure' because I don't have enough access to the team to know how the players are responding to O'Brien.

The way they're playing now looks a lot like how they played last season. Things are clicking fairly well and everybody's playing hard. If this is indicative of how next season would look with a fully healthy Granger, then I'm comfortable with O'Brien.

If the Pacers we saw for the first 60 games of the year is more indicative of where the players are at with O'Brien, then I'm uncomfortable.

This is the $64,000 question. Really, the only one that matters, in my opinion. A few weeks ago, I was firmly in the "new voice camp," but now...I can't make any clear statement without better information.

BTW...I think stabilizing the PG situation is more important for the narrow view of 2010-2011 than the coach is. I don't mean finding the "answer." I mean just having a stable situation.

In fact, I'd say that if your narrow goal was to make the playoffs next year, the the most likely situation to provide that would be to have Earl back on a one-year, AJ at the backup, and TJ gone out of the picture entirely. (Assuming, naturally, that you don't have the opportunity to get a bona fide starter.)

I'm very uncomfortable in the way that he has gone about developing talent when there is virtually no reason to do anything but seeing what we have. I just fear next year Josh and AJ will reacquire DNP-CD's and their seats at the end of the bench. The only thing that stops me from rating him very uncomfortable is the chance that next year is going to be another "burn year" on the road to the summer of 2011.

There's a distinct difference between "developing talent" and "seeing what we have."

I think that Roy Hibbert is way ahead of schedule. However, I think that there are still times and matchups where he is a huge liability on the floor. This will always be the case, to one degree or another, and it's not something he can just play through. As has been mentioned before, this is a guy who never averaged more than 26 minutes a night in College, and I'm guessing that he'll always be a guy who is in the high 20's, maybe 30, max.

I think that Rush is disappointing, but that his problem lies entirely between his ears. (Side note: On O'Brien's show the other night, somebody asked if he thought Dunleavy could return to the guy he was in 2008. He said that he thought Mike would be stronger next year, and score more, but he didn't really ever expect to see him get those big minutes again. IIRC, he started to say Rush had locked up the job, then corrected himself to provide the caveat that he hopes that Rush has finally resolved his consistency issues to the point that the job would be his.)

I think O'Brien made a mistake in sending Price back to the bench in February, and I think he knows it. It is unlikely that Watson returns next year, and I'm sure they are looking to move TJ. I do not expect any one in the organization to feel comfortable with the idea of AJ Price as the starter next year, but, barring the acquisition of two PG's, I'd virtually guarantee that O'Brien and the whole organization has Price penciled in as the 82-game back up and maybe 1,500-1,600 minutes...perhaps more, depending on the situation. (In a lot of ways, it would be good for Price if the Pacers could find some way to bring Earl back for one year. It would settle out the PG situation and let the Pacers look at Price for another full year. If, for example, they made a play for Felton, then it would put a ceiling on Price. If they had Watson, then Price might be able to show enough for them to look to the 4 or the 2 when the big money comes available later.)

McBob is another situation entirely. If Murphy is back next year, and Foster returns healthy, then McBob drops back to being no better than the fourth best big. Additionally, his minutes could be negatively impacted by the presence of Hansbrough and Solo, as well as our 1st round pick, if we take a Monroe or Udoh or someone like that.

I have no idea if all of these guys will be back next year or not, but it seems reasonable to assume that the organization is going to have the goal of making the playoffs again. If so, you know guys like Murph and Foster will play if they're healthy and on the roster.

This isn't a decision process that would be particular to O'Brien, either. A lot of coaches would play those guys.

and...of course, next year is another "burn" year. The "3-year Plan" was just a politically correct way of saying, "Barring a miracle, we're not going to be able to do **** until these contracts expire, so we're just hoping to get by between now and then."

[Justin Tyme]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

I'm more comfortable right now with Jimmy than I have ever been. How long will this coaching honeymoon last? My guess until the last game this season is over, and back to MY "helter skelter run n gun with little "D" style next year. Too stubborn to admit his style doesn't work. He has the classic case of tunnel vision syndrome. Not real comfortable.

[Putnam]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

O'Brien has been a good coach. the wheels fell off this season for sure, but he's been a good coach. Perhaps he'll be a good coach again.

Since, as others have stated, he's probably the best we can get, I'm content to hope to see the better side of him again.

Anyway, the jump-shooting doesn't bother me as much as it bothers others.

[Since86]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

I'm more comfortable right now with Jimmy than I have ever been. How long will this coaching honeymoon last? My guess until the last game this season is over, and back to MY "helter skelter run n gun with little "D" style next year. Too stubborn to admit his style doesn't work. He has the classic case of tunnel vision syndrome. Not real comfortable.

I'm exactly opposite. This is the most uncomfortable I've been in regards to the coaching situation. If he goes back to the same old crap as before, I think it will kill off anything I have left for the team.

[pwee31]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

I fully expect him to be back next season, and the reason I'm very uncomfortable with that, is I'm very uncomfortable with Jim's logic and decision making. If I felt O'Brien had turned a corner with this late season push, and really understood this roster and rotations, then I would be more open to his returning as coach next year.

Unfortunately I still that when the season starts next year, rotations and logic will revert back to what we saw for most of the year and not what we're seeing now/recently.

I'm still afraid of small ball giving us the best chance to win, b/c the other team is playing small, instead of playing to our advantage.

It's nice to see Price on the floor, but the number of minutes Earl Watson has gotten doesn't give me any hope of that changing next year, and I fully expect the Pacers to overpay for Watson, as a panic to how they lost Jack last summer

I'm afraid Foster will stunt Roy's growth again when he and his back are healthy next season

I expect McRoberts to be in a suit the majority of the season, even though he's proven he deserves minutes.

A lot will depend on the moves we make or don't make this summer, but I simply have a bad feeling that he'll go back to his old ways

[Justin Tyme]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

I fully expect him to be back next season, and the reason I'm very uncomfortable with that, is I'm very uncomfortable with Jim's logic and decision making. If I felt O'Brien had turned a corner with this late season push, and really understood this roster and rotations, then I would be more open to his returning as coach next year.

Unfortunately I still that when the season starts next year, rotations and logic will revert back to what we saw for most of the year and not what we're seeing now/recently.

I'm still afraid of small ball giving us the best chance to win, b/c the other team is playing small, instead of playing to our advantage.

It's nice to see Price on the floor, but the number of minutes Earl Watson has gotten doesn't give me any hope of that changing next year, and I fully expect the Pacers to overpay for Watson, as a panic to how they lost Jack last summer

I'm afraid Foster will stunt Roy's growth again when he and his back are healthy next season

I expect McRoberts to be in a suit the majority of the season, even though he's proven he deserves minutes.

A lot will depend on the moves we make or don't make this summer, but I simply have a bad feeling that he'll go back to his old ways

I couldn't agree more and your post was right on target.

[Doddage]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

O'Brien has screwed us the past three seasons by putting us in the position where not only have we not made the playoffs, but we've also ruined our chances at getting a high draft pick that would have definitely made an impact for our team. Think about all the talent we've missed out on the past three drafts. From 2008: Rose, Mayo, Westbrook, Love, Gordon, Lopez. From 2009: Griffin, Harden, Evans, Rubio, Flynn, Curry, and Jennings. And of course we're likely going to miss out on guys like Wall, Turner, and Favors in this draft.

Now I'm not one that wants my team to lose, but it's clear that with O'Brien, this team has gone nowhere the past three seasons. I'd rather have a coach who is decisive in what he wants and where he wants to go rather than one who isn't.

[Trader Joe]

Re: Comfort Poll 1 of 3: Jim O'Brien

I'll repeat what I said after the whole Price debacle in early February, I won't attend another Pacers game while this man is coach.