RealGM

We are right on pace for that 32 win season. I don't think that gets in the playoffs. Alarmingly, the trend of December and January might not even get us to the 32 wins.

On the positive side (for me anyway) O'Brien is finally allocating minutes to Hansbrough, Price and Foster. I think that gives us a better chance to win. Long term finding minutes for George is a positive too.

Do these changes ultimately improve the win/loss tragectory of this team?

I'm afraid it largely comes down to one question, does Hibbert return to the Roy of November or do his struggles continue? With a solid center I think we are a .500 team. Without we aren't very good. I'd like to think a coaching change would rattle cages in a way that makes things better but, I think for that to happen Bird would have to step into that position. It doesn't sound like that's going to happen.

Does .500 from here on out get us in?
Do you think we are up to that task and what's it going to take?

I think I'm with you. It's up to Roy. Not that he needs any more pressure, but him underperforming is very bad for the team.

I don't think so. I think the team is fed up. I think the team is starting to tune the coach out. Once players start to lose trust in their head coach, i think it's just a lost cause. Even if they do get a bit better, i have to think Milwaukee will get much better soon once they get healthy and Washington too. So, even a slight improvement, i could still see us dropping in the standings.

If Lester Conner were still on staff, I think Obie would be gone already. I just don't see McCarthy or Potapenko able to coach a roster.

so we don't have an assistant ready to take over. don't you think we could hire an assistant off the street to be a head coach without giving them a long term deal?

Wizop wrote:so we don't have an assistant ready to take over. don't you think we could hire an assistant off the street to be a head coach without giving them a long term deal?

Possibly, but it means we have to pay another half a million to somebody new, whereas if they were already on staff, the cost would have already been spent.

Plus, who is still out there that isn't on SOME staff somewhere that we could realistically afford? Everybody's latched onto somebody's bench until the offseason, at least.


Right now, we're just screwed. I hate Obie and his "rotations", but it is what it is.

Hiya Scoot!

Sure, there's a chance it gets turned around. The team remains heavily reliant on young players who have been very inconsistent. You can't rule out the possibility of better second halves from guys like Hibbert and Rush, maybe bigger contributions from guys like George and Hansbrough, etc. Granger hasn't played well either and could put together a better second half.

And there's always the possibility of a midseason trade given all the soon-to-expire contracts.

I'll still give it 50-50 odds that the Pacers will make the playoffs, although I no longer think there's much chance they finish at .500 or better.

I'm not an O'Brien basher--the plain truth is that this team just isn't very good--but if the Pacers don't pick it up between now and the end of the season, it's time to find a new coach. (That's my way of saying I don't think we'll see a coaching change any sooner than May.)

I think its chance things can turn around...the Pacers are still very much in the hunt for the playoffs and if somehow O'Brien can stick to some kind of rotation and leave Hansbourgh in the starting lineup they will have a chance. Roy and Danny need to pick it up drastically. Ive said a million times JOB needs to go because hes a moron but the lower half of the East is so weak i dont see how the Pacers dont sneak in although Milwaukee is gonna make a push and Philadelphia will probably get better as season progresses...

one might ask if getting it "truned around" would be a good thing? I can make a case for playing the young players, settling comfortably into the lottery, and just letting the expiring contracts expire other than perhaps Josh. I count that as 11 contracts and a draft pick makes 12. Rolle was waived from the D-League due to injury but maybe if he's healthy that's 13. a second rounder could be 14 although there could be minimum contract guys of equal ability. Stanko could be a better option.

Oh, no! The tanking argument!

Why trun around? If we can keep it up like this we will finally have a top 3 pick + a chance at drafting an exciting superstar. The moment would be perfect.
Our core of roleplayers is present. O'brien will be gone next year. Hibbert will be entering his 4th year of his 7 year development program. Rush is sober. Dunleavy and his 1M salary can stay comfortably on the bench for most of the time. We have capspace to sign some proven veterans. Superstars can almost immediately chip in and have an impact.


Or we can give it our all and take the 9th seed... hoi hoi

I'd say there's a chance. The Pacers should have won quite a few of these games if they didn't implode late in the fourth quarter. Whether that will change remains to be seen, but it's not like they've been getting destroyed every game.