GDT- Game 31: Hawks @ Pacers

[JarrettJackSG]

I would love Jack to be a backup combo guard that plays off the ball..not as our PG

[pacershereiam]

darkflashfox the best way to end a shooting slump is to shoot yourself out of it. you have to have confidence or you won't be able to shoot it. agree, if your not hitting from the outside drive and then work your way out, but dont stop shooting all together. he will be a nice player in a year or two.

[Grang33r]

Agreed.... btw just wanted to say another nice crowd in Conseco Fieldhouse tonight. Sunday was nice and today is another good showing. FSI said just over 14k. I know it seems low but for what we had been getting last few years, that's a good number.

[Grang33r]

I like that JOB has kept Rush in the game this late... he's been struggling but i think it's good for his confidence.

I agree with you pacershereiam, Rush will have a bright future. As will Hibbert i think. He's been coming along nicely recently.

[Grang33r]

No interior defense whats so ever....

[TJFordisGod]

JACK!!! wow on fiyyaaaa tonight. Nice attacking

[Grang33r]

JARRET JACK AND ONE!

[Grang33r]

That is a killer..... ouch.

But more importantly, what kind of possession was it when we attacked after the Smith miss? We looked lost. Like a bunch of kids playing vs. men. That was disappointing.

[JarrettJackSG]

Ugh I hate how badly you guys believe in Rush, he hasn't shown us anything. Joe Johnson however.wow.

Also, we suck in the clutch. Granger bad shot? Man I hope we learn in the future.

[Grang33r]

Rush has better stats so far in his career then Granger did his rookie season... i don't see how you can discredit Rush with his stats while seeing what Granger has done.

[JarrettJackSG]

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=865689&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p18109148

[Grang33r]

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=865689&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p18109148

I'm not so sure what you expect out of a rookie. Rush is a pure shooter and could take a bit longer to get his touch then someone who has the ball at all times, like a big man or a guard like Derrick Rose. I really think Rush will be fine.

[MillerTime101]

Ugh I hate how badly you guys believe in Rush, he hasn't shown us anything. Joe Johnson however.wow.

Also, we suck in the clutch. Granger bad shot? Man I hope we learn in the future.

Your comparing Rush to Joe Johnson at this point in his career? Dude, get your head straight.

How can you say Rush hasnt shown anything? His defense has been the best ive seen from any rookie and he has shown the ability to score in stretches. Last game against NJ he dropped 22 and had 8 boards while playing important minutes.

I dont know what you are expecting but perhaps the problem is with your expectations and not Brandon Rush.

[jtmoney]

Hey, hawks fan here. Good game...terrible officiating. I haven't really followed the Pacers a lot this season, but I gotta ask if Jack is usually that good. After tonight I would have to consider him for my fantasy team (already got granger). I know Ford is coming off an injury, but does Jack usually get important minutes down the stretch like that?

[Grang33r]

Hey, hawks fan here. Good game...terrible officiating. I haven't really followed the Pacers a lot this season, but I gotta ask if Jack is usually that good. After tonight I would have to consider him for my fantasy team (already got granger). I know Ford is coming off an injury, but does Jack usually get important minutes down the stretch like that?

Not really. Tonight he was way better then what he usually is. Although, i don't have the points per quarter stats in front of me, but i think Jack only scored in the 1st and in the 4th. lol

He makes a lot of mistakes and is inconsistent. This wasn't his first good game of the year but when he's bad, he's very bad. I wouldn't pick him for your fantasy team.

[TJFordisGod]

Ugh I hate how badly you guys believe in Rush, he hasn't shown us anything. Joe Johnson however.wow.

Also, we suck in the clutch. Granger bad shot? Man I hope we learn in the future.

I agree with you, I think everyone is treating Rush as if he is already a proven all star. Sure he has similar "rookie" stats to granger, but that doesn't mean he is going to be an all star in the future. I think it's time to wait a couple years before jumping to conclusions that may not turn out the way most people hope.

[writerman]

Ugh I hate how badly you guys believe in Rush, he hasn't shown us anything. Joe Johnson however.wow.

Also, we suck in the clutch. Granger bad shot? Man I hope we learn in the future.

I suspect you're another one of those guys still nursing a sore ass because we didn't keep Jerryd Bayless. On draft night I saw enough **** attitude on the part of that young man to be very glad he's not on the Pacer roster. And from a brief scan of his stats for the Blazers, it looks like he's doing squat for them. He might have a great future, but I saw a lot of people who know the game question whehter he will ever become the superstar some posters here (you?) seemed to automatically assume he would quickly become.

Despite the record, for once I agree with Kravitz--I like what I see from this team. Granger is already damned good. Murphy is having a great season; ditto Daniels. I understand that Nesterovic is just a rental, but that's too bad--he's solid. We have the best all-around backcourt we've had in a long time. Rush and Hibbert are coming along nicely. I especially like the "D" I see from Rush, and the ability to be a fine all-around player is definitely there. Hibbert IMO will be a better than average five in this league for a long time.

This team competes even with Ford missing games and Dunleavy out for the entire first third of the season. I like their hustle despite the heartbreak and misfires in the clutch. This is a mostly young team with a solid core, a team in transition. What do you expect?

IMO they are one more good player--a genuine post presence--away from being a solid playoff team. I give them two years and with reasonable, average luck they will be making some significant noise in the league.

I have to agree with Kravitz--the worst thing that could happen would be for this team to make the playoffs this year and be one and out. They need a solid lottery pick.

[Grang33r]

Ugh I hate how badly you guys believe in Rush, he hasn't shown us anything. Joe Johnson however.wow.

Also, we suck in the clutch. Granger bad shot? Man I hope we learn in the future.

I suspect you're another one of those guys still nursing a sore ass because we didn't keep Jerryd Bayless. On draft night I saw enough **** attitude on the part of that young man to be very glad he's not on the Pacer roster. And from a brief scan of his stats for the Blazers, it looks like he's doing squat for them. He might have a great future, but I saw a lot of people who know the game question whehter he will ever become the superstar some posters here (you?) seemed to automatically assume he would quickly become.

Despite the record, for once I agree with Kravitz--I like what I see from this team. Granger is already damned good. Murphy is having a great season. Rush and Hibbert are coming along nicely. I especially like the "D" I see from Rush, and the ability to be a fine all-around player is definitely there.

This team competes even with Ford missing games and Dunleavy out for the entire first third of the season. I like their hustle despite the heartbreak and misfires in the clutch. This is a mostly young team with a solid core, a team in transition. What do you expect?

IMO they are one more good player--a genuine post presence--away from being a solid playoff team. I give them two years and with reasonable, average luck they will be making some significant noise in the league.

I have to agree with Kravitz--the [b]worst thing that could happen would be for this team to make the playoffs this year and be one and out. They need a solid lottery pick.[/b]

Well said. It's a great post and it's very good that you commented on the great article that Kravitz wrote few days ago. Larry Bird has build this team in a great fashion. They are fighting hard. Playing hard. They are learning. They are re-gaining respectability. They are developing their two rookies. And, they are losing. This rebuilding process isn't complete yet i don't think. Having a top 6-7 pick will do wonders for this team if Bird and his staff can draft the right guy. I know the chance of bust is high, but who knows who truly will be available at that pick. And maybe we even move up some how and draft someone we truly want? This team isn't too far away. They keep fighting and playing hard and if this trend continues for the next 51 games, we should get another real good building piece on this team.

[JarrettJackSG]

First of all, that post was made when JJ killed us with that wide open, beautiful, arching 3.

Second of all, Rush is not a pure shooter, he's a sharpshooter- He was known for 3 point range, but his midrange game isn't all that consistent. In addition, most scouts liked his defense and other things like that. However, most scouts also believed that his ceiling is a 2nd banana (hey look we have one already like Granger), while Bayless has 1st banana potential. Yes, it's better if we tank this year, but I'd rather have our first banana locked up last year rather than this year's weak draft class (which could turn weaker if Rubio does infact come out 2010). And I agree that Rush is a good player, but he'll be an above average starting 2 guard at best, and right now a very good backup 2 guard right now. All Star coud happen in a weak 2 guard year (think Jammal Maglorie)

I do like Bayless, and look, he gives us something that we've been dying to have from Marquis: His ability to slash, draw the foul, and shoot the three. If you want a good comparison of where Bayless could be, think of the way Jack played tonight, except better and consistently. We probably could have gotten that from Bayless. The fact that Bayless can't outplay Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez is more a testament to the ability of the Spanish National team than it is of Bayless skill level. He has the things that most people really want from a 1 guard, speed, penetration, deadly outside shot, great defense, he could have really used a full year on the court with us.