The unmentionable: how do we keep Lance?

[EuroPacer]

Even if he is slumping, Scola helped us over the hump in a fair amount of games this season, but agreed, he doesn't look like a play-off monster at the moment. I think we might see a lot more of Lavoy Allen than is implied from this trade, anchoring the second unit defensively he could be the one that enables Cope and/or Bynum offensive freedom. I just hope we can get it together before the play-offs.

[Scoot McGroot]

Even if he is slumping, Scola helped us over the hump in a fair amount of games this season, but agreed, he doesn't look like a play-off monster at the moment.

Absolutely. Scola helped us win a ton of games already. More than Plumlee or Green would have done (for us) this year.

I'd really like for us to go really deep right now to keep our guys fresh. I'd like to see Allen/Mahinmi/Bynum burn up some energy against some big men before the playoffs so Roy is fresh. Same for letting Copeland/Allen burn some energy at the PF spot to keep West and Scola rested.

[8305]

The unmentionable has become should we keep Lance?

He's an incredible talent and for a small market team to allow a talent like this to get away is seemingly unthinkable. But am I the only one having flashbacks to the days of the dueling egos of Ron Artest and Jermaine O'neal?

Somewhere over the course of this season the ownership of this team transfered from David West, George Hill and Danny Granger to Paul George and Lance Stephenson. The outcome of that transition has been really ugly. Can two guys this young figure it out?

[FreeAgentZero]

Good news in the last week that the salary cap is expected to go up $5 million next season. It was already expected to go up, but not by as much. With the cap going up, the tax line also goes up, which gives us a little more wiggle room. I think we'll have to buy out Scola and let him walk to make space. Probably have to let Evan Turner go too. Hope that Lance might sacrifice a little $ to make it work. PG has incentives on his contract that he can turn down if he wants, Westbrook turned down incentives in OKC to make more cap room. I think we'll get it done. It'll be too hard to replace what he brings to our team. David West's deal expires after next season and won't demand as much money so that can relieve a little bit of the hit on our cap.

[EuroPacer]

I agree with 8305 - all options are open to us and should be pursued seriously at this time. I love Lance, hence he is in my signature, but I have and always had, this nagging feeling that he isn't cut out to be a real game-changer - as in being the guy that wins it all whilst keeping his head cool.

[8305]

Reading that Lance Stephenson and Evan Turner got into a fight prior to game 1. Interesting that the Pacers did their best work with both Turner and Stephenson on the bench last night.