| Will The Pacers Take A Point Guard? Authored by Andrew Perna - May 29, 2009 - 2:21 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | Merry Christmas, Raptors Fans The Raptors might not be playing good basketball right now, but there are plenty of things for Toronto fans to be thankful for this holiday season.
A Melo Behind The SuperstarsCarmelo Anthony has never been one of the league's most efficient offensive players.
| |
Lawson questioned Indiana's happiness with T.J. Ford and Jarrett Jack after his agent spoke to the Pacers, who hold the 13th overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
"They talked to my agent and they said they need a point guard to come in," Lawson told the Indianapolis Star on Thursday afternoon. "They've got T.J. Ford and Jarrett Jack, but I don't know if they're happy with them. They said they need one to come in."
The question is -- do Lawson's comments have merit, or was he purely speculating?
Heading into the summer, the Pacers are really only set at one position. They have Danny Granger, All-Star and Most Improved Player, at small forward and a few backup options for the few minutes each game that he spends on the bench.
Point guard isn't their most pressing issue. Finding another big body to bang in the paint and provide them with some offense around the basket should be their foremost priority.
Roy Hibbert, one of their two first round picks last June (via Toronto), showed promise in his rookie campaign, but another option is needed. It takes longer to develop big men than it does perimeter players, and their depth is lacking on the inside.
Ford, barring an unforeseen trade, will be with the Pacers next season. Jack, meanwhile, will be a restricted free agent.
Pacers president Larry Bird has said multiple times that the team hopes to retain Jack, who has a few options. He could sign a long-term contract with the club, or agree to his one-year, $2.9 million qualifying offer and hope that the economy turns around in a season's time.
Of course, the third option would be to allow him to walk.
Signing Jack for just one more season would make the most sense financially. The salary cap is headed for a decrease and Bird and general manager David Morway have worked hard to put themselves in an advantageous position.
Do to Ford's injury history, which might be overblown considering that he was relatively reliable this past season, the Pacers could be in the market for a third point guard, but I view that player as more of a second-rounder or a veteran's minimum free agent than a top selection.
If they were to take a player like Lawson, who isn't bigger than Jack (6'3", 197 lbs), I'd hope that a trade involving one of the two incumbents would be in the works.
In short, I don't really buy into what Lawson is saying at this point.
The Pacers are likely just exhausting their options with the 13th pick, a good move for a club looking to end a three-year postseason drought.
Meeting with the former Tar Heel is the right thing to do, even if he's lower on Indiana's draft board than he seems to believe.
Is a third point guard needed?
Maybe.
Is that player so vital that the Pacers should use their first-round pick on one?
No.
Not when there are bigger holes to fill in other areas, and other avenues in which to acquire a third option.
Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com and co-host of RealGM's Radio Show. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. |
