All Front Office Talk: Bird Walsh Not Sure to Return (Star)

[count55]

Wouldn't you think that if Walsh wanted Bird gone, based on the other stuff we've heard lately regarding the Simon's wishes, that Bird would be gone? It seems to me that these types of machinations (though they may be true) are unnecessary.

I do think it's time for one clear chief, and I'm OK with it being Walsh. But then, I wouldn't squeal if it were Bird, or someone else entirely, either.

[PR07]

Well, it's kind of funny that we brought in Larry to be Donnie's successor, but now that we figured out he's not so great and that we can keep Walsh maybe longer than we initially expected that we are now looking at how we're going to rid ourselves of Larry Legend. There's got to be at least some smoke to this fire whether Donnie wants Larry gone or not I think.

It kind of reminds me of the Don Mattingly, Joe Torre situation except that the Yankees were presumably able to find a better outside candidate for the job.

[cdash]

The more I read, the more I think Walsh stays and regains full control of the team. The Simon's know they can NOT mess this one up. Walsh has proven himself over time and in this dark hour for the Pacers its really not time to roll the dice with Larry Bird or an unproven GM to head the rebuilding effort. Give the reins to Donnie and let him work his magic.

[PR07]

Well, it looks as though Bird will probably be done after this season, no?

[cdash]

Yeah, I'd say Bird's time in Indiana is done. "I'm crushed".

[joew8302]

Wow, what a turn of events here lately. Which event excites you the most?

A) Pacers win 4 in a row

B) Bird is out

C) Tinsley done for the year

D) A month with no legal trouble


This is tough, but I am going with C.

[cdash]

Bird isnt out yet, but if that happens it is easily my number one. Pacers winning four straight is barely above a month without legal trouble...I really dont think making the playoffs will do anything for this team. Id rather have the 4 or 5 spots in the draft.

[joew8302]

I agree completely with that. I would much rather have the draft position, don't get me wrong. But I do admire that the guys are playing things out and playing hard. It would be easy to pack it in and I am glad they have not, to me thats a character flaw and something which we don't need wearing a blue and gold uniform. I like the character of this team.

Now I do have issue with how everyone is being used. I think we need to use the last 15 games as an evaluation procedure. First thing, keep playing hard.
Second, cut the time of Dunleavy and Foster. These guys are veterans, we all know what they are capable of, it is no secret. Third, increase the PT of Ike, Sahwne, and Stephen. These guys have all shown flashes, lets see what they can do given some extended minutes. How do these guys fit in the teams long term plans? Is is possible we have a diamond in the rough? Odds are we may lose a few more games this way, which is ok based on draft positioning. Also it will give management an idea of what we already have and a more full picture to base decisions off of. Just my two cents though.

[cdash]

Agreed. I do like how we arent openly tanking. I hate tanking, and even though it almost behooves teams to do so (especially in our position), it still rubs me the wrong way. I think part of the reason we are winning is because we are a) capitalizing on a weak schedule and b) perhaps some of the teams we are playing arent giving their best efforts?

[ajizzle]

Well, I want us to keep on trying to win games and fielding our best players. While I would like to see our youngsters get more PT, IDK if any of these guys would be the difference in winning a title or not. Maybe being better than they appear to be, but not the difference in what truly matters.

Just keep playing our best... if we make the playoffs and get crushed, then OK, we do, but I'll never, ever support taking the foot off the pedal. It never leads to anything worth while. A couple of spots higher in the draft, maybe, but again, probably not the difference between winning a title, especially w/ pingpong balls and icy envelopes in the mix.

I'd actually like to give Bird some more time. I like Walsh a lot, and I thank him for his contributions to the team, but for all the good things he's done, he never got Reggie another HOFer to play next to in his prime, he made the calls on bad deals like Bender, Croshere, and others, and besides Reggie, his drafting hasn't been all that great. Some of those things are beyond his control and are a crap shoot, but they're still under his regime.

Bird seems determined to win. He won as a player and he won as a coach. Winning as a GM may take a tad longer, but he's still a winner, and I like his attitude toward not giving up on this season. He entered the Org at a bad time, but he has yet to make his defining move. I wanna see what he does w/ JO and Tinsley this summer, what he does in the draft, and what he does after a full year or two of autonomy at the top.

Walsh is good for the short-term, but I think Bird is a better long-term GM who took over a franchise in terrible shape. Let's give a little more time...

[blue_gold7]

If it were up to me, I would keep Walsh and O'Brien.

[cdash]

I dont understand how you can say Bird is a better long-term GM...and Bird took over a franchise in terrible shape? Really? Come on man, Bird came in when this team was elite. Bird has not made one move since taking over that I would call "good". Over the years Walsh has proved his worth. Its not a coincidence that the teams looking for a new GM had him at or near the top of their lists.

[Scoot McGroot]

I can certainly see what ajizzle is saying. He's simply saying that Bird is pretty much only responsible or Dunleavy, Murphy, Diogu, SWilliams, Diener, Rush, Flip, and Graham.

Of those, we all complained mightily about Dunleavy and Murphy, and for all their warts, they both seem to be pretty decent to solid pickups, especially when we were giving up guys that we wanted nothing of (other than Harrington). Diogu and Williams are still young and cheap, and Diener, Rush, Flip, and Graham have been solid, cheap, young, role-playing pickups. The contracts of Daniels, Foster, Tinsley, and JO were on the books when Larry came here.



Sure, Donnie is a great GM. He built this team from beyond nothing to anything it's ever been. However, he also missed on quite a few moves, especially in the early to mid 2000's. Donnie got a lot of leeway in making decisions, and now we never want him gone. Why should Larry be gone after one or one and a half seasons as "the man"? Shouldn't he be granted some leeway as well?


And all this coming from a guy (me) who would probably rather have Donnie back......

[cdash]

I really dont like this. At all. I wouldnt mind if Bird was leaving too, but my heart was set on the fact that he was going. Now I have to retrain myself.