| Replacing Indiana’s Engine Authored by Andrew Perna - April 18, 2008 - 4:53 pm
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It’s almost fitting that these two teams met on the final day of the 2007-08 season. Both possess talented rosters, but neither were able to scratch their way into the playoff picture of the top-heavy Eastern Conference. That fact is even more amazing when you consider where these two franchises were just a decade ago.
With Donnie Walsh jumping ship to New York and Larry Bird calling the shots on his own in Indiana now, changes are certainly on the horizon for both the Pacers and Knicks.
The most glaring problem for Indiana in recent years, their numerous legal issues notwithstanding, has been the point guard position. Because of that, the Pacers have missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since it was considered cool to rock a mullet and wear a blazer with every outfit you own.
Everyone knows, and most agree, that the Pacers consider Jamaal Tinsley to be a top-level point when healthy. However, he’s rarely one-hundred percent, having missed an average of 33 games over the last five seasons. That has forced Indiana to rely on guys like Anthony Johnson, Darrell Armstrong and Travis Diener to play the most complicated position on the floor.
All have had their moments, but it’s no coincidence that the Pacers have made just one playoff appearance – a first round loss to the Nets – in the last three years.
Bird has a variety of things he’ll undoubtedly aim to accomplish this summer, but retooling the team’s point guard rotation should be at the forefront of his list. The fear in Indiana has always been that Tinsley would somehow remain healthy and excel if traded, but at this point that’s a risk the Pacers will have to grin and bear.
Unfortunately, Larry Legend will be hard-pressed to find someone willing to take on Tinsley’s moderate contract, which will pay him more than $20 million over the next three seasons.
That’s where the biggest decision of the offseason comes into play for the Pacers – Do they use their lottery pick on a point guard or attempt to swing a deal for a more seasoned floor general?
Indiana has earned the eleventh pick, barring a miracle ping pong bounce, where they could grab themselves someone like D.J. Augustin (Texas) or Darren Collison (UCLA), but I see a better option in the trade market.
The Raptors are in need of a scoring wing, and the Pacers have a pair of seasoned options in Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy. Granger is younger and cheaper, among other things, which would allow Bird to ship Dunleavy up to Toronto for current Raptor T.J. Ford.
A straight one-for-one swap would work under the collective bargaining agreement once the season ends and so does the BYC on Ford’s contract.
Pacer fans fell in love with Dunleavy after a career-year in Indiana this season, but fortifying the point guard position is a much higher priority, especially with the continued growth of Granger and Shawne Williams at both the two and three spots.
Such a move would allow the Pacers to start both Granger and Williams next season, or give Shawne more time off the bench with a rookie, signed or returning player (like Marquis Daniels) starting at one of the wing positions.
Dealing Dunleavy for Ford isn’t without risk though, as Diener is under contract next season as well. Bird could be put Indiana in a tough spot, lowering Tinsley’s market value even more in the process, once teams realize that they have three points battling for forty-eight minutes worth of time.
While Diener’s salary is minimal, he has shown that he’s worth playing at least a handful of minutes per game, something that may not be possible with Tinsley and Ford on the roster.
The suggested deal with Toronto would also put the Pacers in a tough spot should Granger or Williams, god forbid, go down with an injury. However, if Bird pulls the trigger on “my” deal with the Raptors, he could select a guy like Danilo Gallinari (Italy) or Brandon Rush (Kansas) in the first round to give the team more options on the perimeter.
A potential logjam at the point, the lowering of Tinsley’s value and thinning of the team’s scoring on the wing aren’t even the only issues that would come into play should Bird pull the trigger on this recommended deal with Toronto. Ford has had some injury issues of his own, not as often as Tinsley, but more serious with the problems involving his spinal cord. He is, however, still lightning fast – something that would complement Indiana’s run-and-gun style perfectly.
The Raptors would probably love to make a deal like this, as it fills their scoring void while solving their point guard dilemma at the same time. Ford would be walking into yet another shared-role at the point if Indiana isn’t able to deal Tinsley, but regardless he should be given the keys to the Pacers’ ride over Jamaal.
If the Pacers cannot deal Tinsley for peanuts, which might be profitable at this point, the idea of having a point of equal talent on the roster might push him to improve his conditioning in an effort to minimize the risk of injury.
At this point who really knows what is on the horizon for Tinsley, with nothing out of the question.
The idea of having a pair of more than serviceable passers on the roster might excite some point-starved Indiana fans, but if Bird is able to acquire the aforementioned can of Planters for Tinsley he should jump on the deal faster than you can say “boom baby”.
The biggest obstacle for Indiana in terms of dealing Dunleavy for Ford might not be dialing Bryan Colangelo or selling the Raptors on MDJ, but letting go of the former Duke guard. Mike enjoyed the best season of his career for the Pacers in 2007-08, tallying 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists a night (with the point and assist averages being career marks).
At this point you might wonder why I would suggest such a trade after highlighting a handful of risks, but chances need to be taken in order for Indiana to end their newfound playoff drought next season.
The Pacers have a talented roster, but injuries aside, it’s rather obvious that this lot of players simply can’t get it done.
Adding a Ford engine to the roster just might give Indiana the firepower they need to put this lemon of a team into reverse, and back into the postseason.
Andrew Perna is a Senior Writer for RealGM.com. Please feel free to reach him via e-mail (Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com) with comments or questions. |
