| Foster Withstands Turnover In Indiana Authored by Andrew Perna - September 14, 2009 - 12:52 pm
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He entered the league as a little-used reserve on an Indiana Pacers team that advanced all the way to the NBA Finals in 2000. As the 21st overall pick in the 1999 draft -- taken by the Warriors and then immediately traded to the Pacers -- Foster wasn’t even on the team’s playoff roster.
That season Indiana had a host of big men ahead of the rookie, including Jonathan Bender, Austin Croshere, Dale Davis, Al Harrington, Derrick McKey, Sam Perkins, Rik Smits and Zan Tabak.
Slowly, though, Foster began to make an impact. After Indiana lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, they began rebuilding and the 6’11”, 250-pound center earned a solid spot in the rotation. He was no longer known just for his infamous blue mouth guard or striking resemblance to Angelina Jolie’s creepy brother.
Foster had become a solid NBA player.
Appearing in 71 games during the 2000-01 season, including nine starts, he averaged 3.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. The numbers weren’t eye-raising, but the amount of energy and dedication that he brought to the floor was quite impressive.
Fast forward to this summer, just a few weeks prior to the start of Foster’s eleventh training camp, and the now-veteran center is still as hungry and driven as he was more than a decade ago.
At 32, Foster can’t push his body as hard as he once did, but there’s no question that he’ll come into camp in tremendous shape, ready to help the Pacers end their three-year playoff drought.
“When I was in my 20's I worked out all day long. I would spend a couple of hours at the track in the morning. I would then go to the gym and lift and do a court workout,” Foster said of past offseasons. “I still work out pretty hard, but have had to cut down the amount of time that I do.”
Foster has played in 82 games twice his career, but his all-out playing style has opened him up to a few nagging injuries. His back has begun to betray him from time-to-time, perhaps a direct result of all the charges he’s taken over the years.
It’s almost a guarantee that Jeff’s neck, shoulders and arms will be beet red by the time each game reaches halftime. He may not be the most talented or athletic player on the floor, but he’s usually the hardest-working. His career averages of 5.1 points and 7.0 rebounds are middling, but his per 36-minute numbers (8.7 points and 11.9 boards) showcase just how active he is on the floor.
He has endured a few different rebuilding projects in Indiana, despite the fact that his name is mentioned in trade rumors annually. Because of the roster turnover, Foster is the Pacers’ longest tenured player -- by far.
His teams have gone from championship contender to playoff doormat to contender once again and down to perennial lottery entrant. Indiana’s current status can be blamed on a host of roster moves made by president Larry Bird and general manager David Morway.
Those moves, however, had to be made. The Pacers have dealt Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington and Jermaine O’Neal over the past four years. This summer, they finally cut ties with point guard Jamaal Tinsley, who hadn’t appeared in a game since the end of the 2007-08 campaign.
“As we all know, the roster turnover was something that had to be done. I think this franchise had its hand forced by a lot of extraordinary events,” Foster mused. “We have missed the playoffs the last three years, but there isn't a hungrier group of guys than this year’s Indiana Pacers.”
The group of players that Foster alluded to is young, but talented. The roster has an average age of 26, but one of the game’s best young stars in Danny Granger and three lottery picks from the last two drafts.
Two of those picks, forward Tyler Hansbrough and center Roy Hibbert, will eventually take Foster’s minutes. That doesn’t bother the native Texan, who believes that the young big men hold the key to Indiana’s success this season.
“Tyler plays with so much energy that it rubs off on everyone on the team. Opposing players will not want to play against him,” Foster said, sounding like many when describing another certain Pacers frontcourt player. “Roy is such a hard worker that the sky is the limit for him. A lot of our success this season will depend on how they both progress.”
Foster, who once learned from Indiana’s veterans, is now the team’s lone established presence. He isn’t quite the ‘Uncle Reggie’-type that Reggie Miller was a few years ago, but he’s done his best to pass on what he learned from the team’s long-time veteran.
“I still believe that having Reggie for a teammate is the reason I'm where I am today. His work ethic and the way he carried himself is something I have tried to emulate my entire career. I have also tried to pass on what he taught me to all the young guys,” he said.
Being the elder statesmen in Indiana is becoming a better proposition. Yes, they haven’t tasted the postseason since 2006 and a trip next spring is far from a guarantee, but at the very least the team is more cohesive now then they have been in the post-Miller Era.
“It's a big deal. Last year’s chemistry was great. This year I hope it'll be the same,” Foster wished.
If the Pacers don’t have great chemistry this season, Foster won’t be the culprit. He’s taken a step aside many times in his career -- for Brad Miller, Jermaine O’Neal and Troy Murphy -- and he’ll likely do so again, paving the way for Hansbrough and Hibbert to have long careers in Indiana.
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. You can also follow Andrew on Twitter: APerna7. |
