The Peja/Ron Trade:
I'll be completely honest, when this trade first went down (the first time) I was absolutley devastated. I wasn't only angry because Peja was the guy we got back, but I felt really stupid for defending Donnie Walsh for taking so long, when this trade could have been made 5 minutes after Ron made his demand. I still hold a grudge to Donnie for taking so long, yet still making this deal. However, when the trade fell through, that feeling was the worst. When the trade fell through obviously nobody else would touch Ron, and we'd probably end up with Chris Wilcox, if we were lucky. So the next day when it finally was official, I was happy, because as much as I disliked Peja, he's definitley better then Chris Wilcox or Derek Fisher. Now that Peja has played 8 games with us, I have done a complete 180 on him. The team is 6-2 with him, and playing the best ball all season. Its not like we're beating shitty teams either (see Detroit victory, and see narrow loss to San Antonio that should have been a W.) Peja brings a lot to the table, and I have been really surprised about his rebounding. I know he hasn't been this good of a rebounder his whole career, but all I have to go by is what I've seen of him as a Pacer. He gets some of the most impossible rebounds, its incredible. Sometimes a rebound will be practically in the hands of an other teams player and Peja will swoop in and take it from him, starting a fast break. The other thing I love about Peja is his release. I always knew he was a great shooter, but I didn't really know why. The thing about Peja is that he is taller then everyone who guards him, and he releases the ball so quickly, that he can shoot with someone on him or not, it doesn't really matter, because the ball is so high and released so fast the defender can't react quick enough. Ok, cue the NLSCers to jump in and say I only like him because I'm a Pacer homer, but all I have to say, is look at the type of ball we've been playing since he's been here. Also, Peja has better numbers in every single category then Ron since the trade.
Remember we still have our best player sitting on the bench with all this success, which leads me to my next topic.
Jermaine O'Neal:
I can't wait to see Jermaine and Peja play together, but if it doesn't work, I'd rather see JO traded this offseason, and see Peja re-signed. I know it sounds kind of crazy, but after the whole Bender thing happened, I have a real resentment towards the chronically injured. I want to cleanse the roster of the guys that are always injured, and that starts with JO and Tinsley. I think if Minny is ever going to trade KG, they will not get a better offer then JO and Tinsley. Any disagreements? However, I know everyone thinks that the team is a lot better with JO in a suit, because its true that we play better ball without him. The problem though, is not Jermaine, the problem is Rick Carlisle.
The Coach:
Rick has changed the playbook since Peja has arrived, and we've become much more of a running team, which really suits guys like Danny Granger, Sarunas, Peja, Foster, Harrison etc. and it works really well. We're winning ball games, and Rick is finally not being hardheaded anymore. When Jermaine comes back, that will be Rick's real test. If he goes back to the dump it in to Jermaine and watch offense again, he deserves to be fired right away. That obviously does not work, and the pieces that we have right now are much more suited to run then play the halfcourt stand around offense. Rick has always seemed like a guy that would play it safe and go back to his comfort zone, but he must keep this offense in tact when JO returns. If he does, boom, we're title contenders again.
Danny Granger:
Say hello to the future of the Indiana Pacers. Many will probably disagree, and maybe its only because I watch him play every night, but other then Chris Paul, I would take Danny Granger over any rookie in the league right now. He has a complete game all around. He can score, rebound, shut people down, and in 3 years he'll be an all star, mark my words.
Jeff Foster:
Jeff has always been productive as the starting Center, but there has always been a small problem with him, I just never could really put my finger on it. Rick figured it out before I did, and fixed it, which caused me to put my finger on it. JEFF FOSTER IS A POWER FORWARD, AND A DAMN GOOD ONE. When Jeff is playing Power Forward along with Pollard or Harrison and Center, the other team can't ever get an offensive rebound, and the interior is solid. Jeff is too weak to play Center, but as a PF he is absolutley perfect. Cheers to Rick for figuring this out, and hopefully he doesn't go back to playing him at Center when JO comes back, because he is playing the best ball of his career at Power Forward.
Stephen Jackson:
I don't know if any of you saw the fall he took against the Lakers in that game (which we absolutley pulverized them) but it was really ugly. He fell flat on to his side after being up by the rim, and I got to sneak up and sit right behind the basket for that game, so I was right there when the fall happened. Let me tell you... Jack was screaming louder then I've ever heard anyone scream in my life. I was thinking a career ending injury, and when I heard on the radio that he had been taken to the hospital I was really sad, I thought that this could be the end of Jack in a Pacer uni, at least for this season, and the last thing we needed was another injury to a key player. The next game was two days later against Detroit, and before the players come out, in Conseco they have a thing where on the jumbotron they show the players in the tunnel getting ready to come out. They had a close up of two feet doing an irish jig sort of dance, and I thought huh... those look like Steve's shoes, could he be playing?? Then they moved the camera up, and Jack is play boxing the camera, getting psyched to come out, and I just stood up and topped his scream as loudest ever. When they announced his name in the starting lineups we got so loud in there, it was amazing. Jackson is a warrior, and I don't care what anyone says, he is the toughest guy in the NBA. If I had taken a fall like that, I'd be in bed for weeks, but after the game Jack was signing autographs in his car, and I shook his hand and told him how impressed I was that he played and he smiled and said "My policy is, If I can walk, I can play." 500 cheers for Jack, he's a keeper.
Jamaal Tinsley:
Trade him. Always injured. Waste of talent. (Surprised Jae?
)
Anthony Johnson:
AJ has been the heart and soul of this team other then SJack. Over the last 5 he's avering 19 a game, that's pretty damn impressive. Also, I don't know if any of you saw the tomahawk jam he threw down over PJ Brown, but watch out Nate Robinson...
Scot Pollard:
He's played really great since Peja has come over, and that's good, because he's been nothing more then a comedian since he's been here, its good to see that he still has something in him.
Ok there's one other thing that I debated whether or not I should post, but I decided that you can take it for what you wish. I met someone who has a definite inside scoop with the Pacers organization, I'm not going to say how, and you can believe me or not, I don't really care, I just decided that with the amount of Raptors fans on this forum, you guys may be interested to know. Since I haven't had the internet, I don't know how big of a rumor this was, but I didn't find anything about it here, so maybe it didn't get too big, but we offered JO for Chris Bosh, and the Raptors did consider it. Obviously, player for player that is a bad deal for the Raptors, but the Raps have concerns about whether or not CB will re-sign when he becomes a free agent after next season. After about 3 hours, the Raptors called back and declined. Again, I know I don't have a reputation as an "insider" or whatever, so choose not to believe me if you want, but it was a semi close deal to happening.
Anyways, I'll be here for a few more hours to respond and chat with you guys, but I have a flight out of here in 6 hours for Detroit, check the Pacers schedule if you're wondering why.
