Bird Leaving

[Wizop]

Breaking news!. Pritchard moving up. I'm hoping Donnie Walsh is consulted more too as I've recently learned that he's been out of the loop.

[Jermainevent]

Interesting timing, considering he just drove the All Star bid to the NBA HQ earlier this week. Wish him nothing but the best, but not a bad idea to have a "new voice" in the Front Office. Wait, the new voice is his left hand man, Pritchard? Feels similar to how Nate got his job as the New HC.

Anyway, if we can't keep PG13, I'm all for a total rebuild. We need to accept the LeBron will run this conference for the next couple of seasons and start looking towards the future.

[SmashMouthRod]

Im not surprised. He leaves right about the time when the team is potentially about to lose its superstar. I was hoping they would go in a different direction at the head coaching position. Im guessing with Pritchard taking over that his guy McMillan is safe now. Additionally I wonder what this means for Lance. i hope that Donnie will come back in an advisory role. This is one of the most important off-seasons in Pacers history with the draft and free agency. I still have my fingers crossed that we can land a player through free agency or trade that will intrigue George enough to stay.

[I_Love_This_Game!!]

Could this be an early indication that the Pacers have already decided to trade PG and rebuild?

[Pacersike]

Not going to be sad. He has done some great things for the Pacers but some of recent moves just made it clear that he isn't progressive enough to be a GM today. Not even talking to other coaching candidates or signing Al Jefferson because players have told him that he is so difficult to stop?

The worst part is that Nate McMillan agrees with Bird that talented players can be thrown together on a pile and that they have to wait to see if it works or not. He said so in his press conference. No Larry, no Nate, the players you signed were destined to struggle together. Way too many players who want to touch the ball and not enough players who don't need to touch it to contribute.

[Pacersike]

Could this be an early indication that the Pacers have already decided to trade PG and rebuild?

Not at all. The Bird approach didn't work, with his decision to step down Bird took the blame so the next GM gets another try to convince Paul to stay.

Lakers will not trade for him anyway. They will wait for his free agency.

[Wizop]

i hope that Donnie will come back in an advisory role.

He's been there ever since he left the Knicks. I'm told know one has been seeking his advice which is a waste of a great resource but he's in the building. let's hope Pritchard starts talking to him.

[SBM]

Good, he stepped down, probably would have been fired otherwise.

[GreenGiant1996]

Tough end of an era for this pacers team.

[celtspacers]

Larry's talk with Paul George did not go the way Larry thought it would. Paul wants to stay in Indiana. If he is traded he will only sign extension with only 2 other teams. Cleveland or Portland. He will not sign with Boston or the Lakers. Herb Simon has told Paul if he stays Larry will be getting his opinion on trades and free agents. Larry was upset with owner and has decided to leave. Larry didn't want Paul controlling the team.

[boomershadow]

I always thought the seemingly contradictory directions the team has been trying to go in the last few years has been the result of some differences in philosophy between Pritchard and Bird. On the one hand you had Birds desire for a more uptempo game with small combo guards and lots of ball handling in the back court with bigs that can shoot. Like the JOB years and what we were seeming to head towards the last few years. And then you had Pritchard whose Portland teams were slow and big, who matched Hibbert's contract, who decided to promote Vogel from his interim role, and who probably had a voice in bringing in and promoting McMillan.

[Joshumitsu]

KP has been a proponent for advanced stats, shooting, and running teams for as long as his Portland days. I reckon Nate was just adding someone he felt comfortable with, professionally and off the court.

If there was conflict, I'd wager it has to do with Bird's stubborness to remain in the middle and build up while Pritchard probably felt more comfortable going into the lottery and rebuilding around the star(s).

[8305]

My best guess and this is a guess. Pacers have seen Durant and Aldridge leave better situations than Indiana has to offer PG. More likely than not PG is leaving. To get value back in a PG trade this deal needs to be done now rather than later. At age sixty not something that Larry was not up for. He's gotta know the last thing this franchise needed this year was to take a step backwards. And, that his vision for the team with hindsight was obviously flawed. Gotta wonder if his relationship with PG had frayed too? If my guess is on point this decision was probably pretty easy.

[Wizop]

Larry's talk with Paul George did not go the way Larry thought it would. Paul wants to stay in Indiana. If he is traded he will only sign extension with only 2 other teams. Cleveland or Portland. He will not sign with Boston or the Lakers. Herb Simon has told Paul if he stays Larry will be getting his opinion on trades and free agents. Larry was upset with owner and has decided to leave. Larry didn't want Paul controlling the team.

do you have a source for any of this? what interests him in Portland? why do you think he isn't interested in the LA teams?

[tocooks101]

Larry's talk with Paul George did not go the way Larry thought it would. Paul wants to stay in Indiana. If he is traded he will only sign extension with only 2 other teams. Cleveland or Portland. He will not sign with Boston or the Lakers. Herb Simon has told Paul if he stays Larry will be getting his opinion on trades and free agents. Larry was upset with owner and has decided to leave. Larry didn't want Paul controlling the team.

You are a a great fiction writer

[Pacers_Freak]

I don't know if anyone heard the interview with Pritchard on the Dakich show yesterday but it was great. Dakich is a blowhard but asked some really tough questions and Pritchard gave real honest responses. It was a great insight.

[celtspacers]

Let"s just say my source is not a little Birdie. My source likes to Bitch Slap people. Paul has 2 friends on Portlands team. Cj Mccallum and Damian Lillard. He don't think either La team will get the players needed to win.

[Boneman2]

Let"s just say my source is not a little Birdie. My source likes to Bitch Slap people. Paul has 2 friends on Portlands team. Cj Mccallum and Damian Lillard. He don't think either La team will get the players needed to win.

I'd rather PG walk away than to trade him for an inferior package based on principle but honestly I don't see him leaving.