The Dreaded Question: Rebuild or Retool?

[boomershadow]

Of course, sometimes terms like these are a matter of semantics, but I think it's a valid to take into consideration what direction exactly the Pacers are hoping to go. I know our organization views a total bottoming out in 76ers fashion as not an option, but that was always the extreme example of rebuilding. "Rebuilding" is a dirty word around the Pacers organization, but we also saw that dipping into the draft lottery for a year got us a great building block for our future in Myles Turner. A trip or two to the lottery might also be in the cards for us in the post-Paul George era no matter what we try to do. So call it what you want to, but there are some questions regarding our direction for the future that will need answers.

Goals: are we attempting to remain in the playoff picture or are we going to try to nab more lottery picks?

Free agents: the direction of the team would help determine if we are looking for guys who could contribute something on the court right away regardless of other considerations like fit or leadership skills verses players that might act as good role models and verteran leaders for a team not expecting to make the playoffs.

Return for Paul George: are we hoping to be compensated more in the form of draft picks and young guys or would we accept in exchange for Paul what Kevin Pritchard during his press conference called something like "multiple all stars." That last bit seems a stretch, and I know he has to take a stance in public that will help get us the biggest return package as possible for Paul. Rumors are that lately we have been turning down trade packages that involve sending Kevin Love to Indy.

How fast to bring along our new guys: it takes playing time and sometimes trial/error for new players to develop their skills. Young guys in our past like Paul George and Lance Stephenson were thrown into the mix and developed well when given more responsibility, but if we are fighting for a playoff spot then sometimes that learning curve can cost wins.


There are lots of tough questions in our future. What is the best direction for the future of our franchise? What do we hope to get out of the next few years, and do we have a realistic chance of accomplishing it? What do we do with some of our veteran players like Monta Ellis? What players could we lure to Indy and how might they affect the development of our youth? All these are tough questions for the new guy in charge, Kevin Pritchard, and I don't envy him much when every move he makes is going to be under scrutiny from the media and fanbase.

[Miller4ever]

I don't think we have a choice. We're going to be forced into a rebuild. Our best player will only be 21 years old. Our starting point guard might be Lance Stephenson. The way our contracts are structured it looks like two years from now is when we can make a splash on the FA market. It'll be a de facto rebuild just like it was during the Obie days. We didn't tank, but we were sure as hell rebuilding.

[Wizop]

If we assume Teague doesn't hold out for a Max in which case I'd let him walk and PG is gone and no starters are in the package, we start Teague, Lance, GRob, TYoung, and Turner. Ellis, Seraphin, and Leaf provide an eight man rotation. Can we stay in a season long hunt for the top six to ten spots? Add some rotation players and future picks for PG and I'm more confident.

Over optimistic? Perhaps but as I write every year, I'm always optimistic in the summer.

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[pacers33granger]

We'll retool like always imo.

Teague will likely be back. He said he wants to be here and that's obviously big for us now. If Thad is traded it'd likely be at the deadline, but even then I doubt he is traded. There will be too much talent to get a good pick, but too little to get higher than a 6 seed. Hopefully we hit on whatever we get out of PG and some mid firsts.

[Wizop]

If Thad is traded it'd likely be at the deadline, but even then I doubt he is traded.

I don't understand why anyone thinks he would be. Thad and TJ are our only mobile 4's. Okay, I'm discounting Niang and some guys in Fort Wayne. Thad is the only one ready to start and we're only committed to him for two years. we almost missed the playoffs last year when Thad missed time with a wrist injury and I don't expect us to ever intentionally try to be a lottery team.

I assume the difference between rebuild and retool is how quickly you expect to be competitive. as fast as possible is an over-simplification. You do need a timeline and ours is clear to me. We want to peak when Turner is ready to break out. He's 21 now. Leaf is 20 and GRob is 23 so they belong on the Turner Team. This year's second rounders and undrafted free agents are the right age too. By comparison, PG13 is 27 and but for the injury was a star at 25.

Writing this has given me a plan. We want as many 2018 draft picks as a PG trade can bring us and any Teague contract has to be short or contain a team option.

[SBM]

Since you guys are so in love with Boston and would like to trade George there for free, why don't you start thinking like them. Make the ECFinals or better while holding several high picks in upcoming drafts.

[boomershadow]

Since you guys are so in love with Boston and would like to trade George there for free, why don't you start thinking like them. Make the ECFinals or better while holding several high picks in upcoming drafts.

I am not extremely sure we are in a position to both make the ECF next year and get the #1 pick in the draft like the Celtics did, but I actually agree with the basic premise you're talking about. There is an assumption some fans make that a team can't both try to be as good as they can be now and also make improvements for the future at the same time. The Celtics did that. I think we should be trying to do that too. I doubt we'll be as good the first game Paul George is gone than we would have been with him, but that doesn't mean it's useless to receive current solid players in return for him or useless to resign Jeff Teague or go after free agents to fill holes because "we're just gonna suck anyways." And that's a narrative I've seen pop up in major news media as well as internet boards. None of the things we are hoping to do get easier if we become as bad as say....the Orlando Magic or something. Not developing young talent. Not luring talent here. Not making use of any assets we might get for Paul.

I don't think we're gonna give Paul George away for free (nor do I think we'll get the Celtics to cough up 5 really solid assets for him), but I am optimistic that we'll do as well or better as Chicago did when they traded Butler.

[SBM]

Since you guys are so in love with Boston and would like to trade George there for free, why don't you start thinking like them. Make the ECFinals or better while holding several high picks in upcoming drafts.

I am not extremely sure we are in a position to both make the ECF next year and get the #1 pick in the draft like the Celtics did, but I actually agree with the basic premise you're talking about. There is an assumption some fans make that a team can't both try to be as good as they can be now and also make improvements for the future at the same time. The Celtics did that. I think we should be trying to do that too. I doubt we'll be as good the first game Paul George is gone than we would have been with him, but that doesn't mean it's useless to receive current solid players in return for him or useless to resign Jeff Teague or go after free agents to fill holes because "we're just gonna suck anyways." And that's a narrative I've seen pop up in major news media as well as internet boards. None of the things we are hoping to do get easier if we become as bad as say....the Orlando Magic or something. Not developing young talent. Not luring talent here. Not making use of any assets we might get for Paul.

I don't think we're gonna give Paul George away for free (nor do I think we'll get the Celtics to cough up 5 really solid assets for him), but I am optimistic that we'll do as well or better as Chicago did when they traded Butler.

I agree for the most part but here is my thing with the Celts. They need help getting out of a hole they have put themselves in. They have missed on all there lottery picks so far: Olynyk, Smart, and Brown. Maybe Tatum hits, maybe not. The point is if we let them off the line by turning some of those fails into a win with PG its not a good move.

[Wizop]

Since you guys are so in love with Boston and would like to trade George there for free, why don't you start thinking like them. Make the ECFinals or better while holding several high picks in upcoming drafts.

saw Billy King on one of the draft shows talking about what went wrong when he as GM of the Nets traded all those picks to Boston for Pierce and KG. his claim was when the trade was made his owners told him they were committed to going for the gold and spending whatever it took but at the end of that season they tightened their purse strings and ordered him to cut payroll to avoid the tax and that kept him from signing the pieces they needed to go with what they got from Boston. whether true or not doesn't matter. of course, we'd like to get into Ainge's current position IF ONLY we could find a trading partner dumb enough to put us there.

I don't think anyone expects PG to go to Boston for free. we will get some combination of veterans Boston needs to move to make the trade legal and a young star and one high pick or no young star and two high picks.

failing that we'll talk to the Lakers. they say there is no reason to make a deal as they'll get him in a year but PG won't see it that way. if he's a Laker when he opts out, he can sign a much better contract that if he is a Pacer as the current club can include an extra year. he can also choose to extend with them now instead of waiting a year and that will better allow his deal to expire when he's eligible for the higher 10 year max.

and then there are the Rockets and Wizards and who knows else who want to make offers. Boston has those great picks though and as much as I'd like to see PG go West, I'd really prefer a Nets or Sixers pick.

[SBM]

People act like the Bulls didn't get 3 recent lottery picks on rookie scale contracts. What such players are we getting from Boston? None that you like. That is the beginning of the trade and whatever else they have to throw in is on them.