Is Roy the Answer?

[Crossova21]

As much as I like Roy as a true center, do you guys think that he is our long-term answer at center or should we look at a possible replacement in this years draft? I know a lot of you will probably say that if we replace him we still have a void at PF, but I was also wondering if there's any chance Granger could play some PF. If he's at PF, Rush could play SG and Dunleavy (if he ever comes back) could play SF.

Also I was looking at http://www.mynbadraft.com and I noticed that Minnesota has three 1st Rd. Picks (lottery, mid-, and late-first round). The Thunder and Kings have two first rounders (lottery and late). Is there any chance we find a way to grab one of their picks. We could then either use the picks to draft for the future or trade up.

BTW, I was watching Demar DeRozan (next Vince Carter?) and he could be that extra spark we need to ignite the crowd next season if he declares. However they're projecting him to go late in the lottery, after we have already picked (assuming we don't go on a mid-season run like the Rockets did last year).

Deuces!

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

Roy is the answer, he has shown some flashes of being really good in his rookie year. Once he cuts down on the stupid fouls, and improves his game, we will have a very good starting center. Keep in mind, he is just a rookie - rookie bigs rarely ever do anything noteworthy.

[Crossova21]

You're probably right. It just seems that a lot of his fouls wouldn't be called if they were guards. He reminds me a little of David Harrison in that when he fouls it is more obvious. I would just like to see him slow down a little bit when he's in the post. He can get his shot off over just about everybody but a lot of times is looks like he rushes.

I also think if we get an athletic PF in the draft it will counteract Hibbert's lack of athleticism. I know this will probably NEVER happen but I was thinking if we took Thabeet in the draft we would have the tallest frontcourt in the league! We could slide Thabeet to PF and leave Hibbert at C.

Deuces!

[PR07]

I think he can be a pretty good center in this league. It's just a matter of pairing the right player next to him in the frontcourt.

[Grang33r]

As much as I like Roy as a true center, do you guys think that he is our long-term answer at center or should we look at a possible replacement in this years draft? I know a lot of you will probably say that if we replace him we still have a void at PF, but I was also wondering if there's any chance Granger could play some PF. If he's at PF, Rush could play SG and Dunleavy (if he ever comes back) could play SF.

Also I was looking at http://www.mynbadraft.com and I noticed that Minnesota has three 1st Rd. Picks (lottery, mid-, and late-first round). The Thunder and Kings have two first rounders (lottery and late). Is there any chance we find a way to grab one of their picks. We could then either use the picks to draft for the future or trade up.

BTW, I was watching Demar DeRozan (next Vince Carter?) and he could be that extra spark we need to ignite the crowd next season if he declares. However they're projecting him to go late in the lottery, after we have already picked (assuming we don't go on a mid-season run like the Rockets did last year).

Deuces!

Minnesota currently actually has 4 first round picks. Their own, Miami's, Boston's and Utah's (assuming Utah's is 22nd or better).

Trading down in the NBA draft is pointless. Buying picks or trading a package of 2nd rounders with a little bit of cash for a mid first round pick isn't the hardest thing to do. Just look at all the deals last year on draft night.

This draft is a little light on star power. I think only Rubio (if he declares) and Griffen are pretty much the only locks, or as close to a lock as it gets for stardom. However, i was watching a USC game few weeks ago and they had a columnist on for a interview and he said DeRozan reminds him a lot of how OJ Mayo played and he even said his ceiling with hard work is like Kobe Bryant. Obviously, that will depend a lot on worh ethic and how dedicated he is and on coaching but that says a lot on the kid. Another kid is Jrue Holiday. I've heard many compare him to Dewayne Wade. I once read a article on him in SLAM Magazine (April 2008 issue) and they had his HS coach and UCLA guy comment on him. And the article was basically about what a hard worker he is, and how he is unreal offensively but Holiday doesn't think he's a great player until he becomes a great defensive player. Terry Kelly (his HS coach) said Holiday would cover the best player each night, and stopping him, and then getting 25/10/5 for them at the same time. He said it was unreal. These two players have bust potential, like all players, but the reward is very very high.

If the Pacers somehow get a mid-first round pick, like 20s, i'd bet almost anything that it would be to aquire one of these two players. Patrick Patterson, a Power forward out of Kentucky. Very smart kid and out of a college known to develop great talent. He's on the small side, 6'8 but his wing span is huge. He's a talented, smart player who plays with high intensity. Or, Eric Maynor, PG out of VCU. I know we have plenty of PGs but Maynor is a Larry Bird type player. VERY high basketball IQ. Goes to a very smart school. Great background. Great grades. A leader on his team. Good size. Good shooter and awesome vision. If Bird does pull the trigger and gets a 2nd first rounder, no doubt it's for this kid. Once Bird sees him and talks to him, he will fall in love. No doubt in my mind.

[Crossova21]

I just wish we could get another all-star caliber player to compliment Granger. We've always had just one star player. Reggie Miller had to do it all alone. And Jermaine had Artest, who didn't work out. I know Reggie had a good supporting class but there was always a Jordan-Pippen or Kobe-Shaq match-up. Maybe what we need is a 1-2 punch instead of supporting players.

[cdash]

Personally, I dont think this is the draft where we are going to find an All-Star caliber player to pair with DG. After the top 5 or 6 picks, this draft drops off. I wouldnt want a late first round pick in this draft, and Patrick Patterson and Eric Maynor sure dont excite me very much. The only guys I really like in this draft are Griffin, Rubio, Monroe, DeRozan, Holiday, and Curry. Plus, first round picks are nice and getting multiple first rounders are nice...but if we get two picks we are all of a sudden looking at two rookies and two second year players vying for rotation spots. That's not typically a recipe for success.

[Grang33r]

Look how long it took Portland to become good? And they drafted gems. Roy. Webster. Aldridge. Fernandez. Oden. And still, they struggle at times. But finally this season they are coming to their own. I think the Pacers rebuilding plan is still a year away. I think we'll be a lottery team this season and next season just miss the playoffs, but we play in the weak East so we might make it and be one and done. Get another OK draft pick in 2010 with like the 15th or so draft pick. Probably pick best available or depth player, or maybe even move up a few slots. And then 2011 would be the season i think Pacers could be a top 4 teams. With Hibbert and Rush in their 3rd season, our rookie from this draft being a 2nd year pro and Granger being a NBA star.

[Gremz]

Roy is the greatest, i heart him. Watch him develop, he has a number of post moves and when he is ready will command a lot of attention on offense and be a solid blocking player in the post. His enthusiasm is fantastic and looks to be very focused on his conditioning and energy. I see a bright future.

[Miller4ever]

He needs to not become David Harrison. Then he'll be great.

[JarrettJackSG]

Look how long it took Portland to become good? And they drafted gems. Roy. Webster. Aldridge. Fernandez. Oden. And still, they struggle at times. But finally this season they are coming to their own. I think the Pacers rebuilding plan is still a year away. I think we'll be a lottery team this season and next season just miss the playoffs, but we play in the weak East so we might make it and be one and done. Get another OK draft pick in 2010 with like the 15th or so draft pick. Probably pick best available or depth player, or maybe even move up a few slots. And then 2011 would be the season i think Pacers could be a top 4 teams. With Hibbert and Rush in their 3rd season, our rookie from this draft being a 2nd year pro and Granger being a NBA star.

Am I missing something? That list has 2 rookies, one a near lock to be an all star, another the next Manu Ginobili. They have been blowing away all expectations. And look how many times they had to be in the high lottery to get that. Webster was 6th. Roy was 7th. Aldridge was 2nd. Oden was 1st. Rudy was a steal at 24. Your point is completely moot.

[ajizzle]

Roy is going to be fine. He'll be more Dikembe than Zo or Patrick, but I'll take that, especially if he can hit that hook and that elbow J consistently. But he just needs a couple of helpers.

One, he may need a specialist to tutor him. Bynum has Kareem, Yao had Ewing, Duncan had Robinson, JO had 'Sheed. Some need them more than others, and I think that we may need to invest in one to unlock Roy's full potential. Larry helps Danny a lot, so maybe he can find wherever Robert Parish is and ask him to come in a help Roy along.

Two, like most players, Roy needs to find someone who's skill set is similar to his and just watch and learn from that player, past or present. As aforementioned, Parish wouldn't be bad. I think with his size, he should look at Big Zydrunas Ilgauskas (sp?) in Cleveland. In fact, the other night, when Roy got all of those putbacks and offensive boards, I thought I was watching a younger Big Z. Roy likes that 15-footer like Z, and is deceptively good at running the floor, so maybe Timmay or even Yao.

Most players fit into a mold that has already been cast in the L, and lots of good players use that. Kobe uses MJ, CP3 looks up to Isiah, Dwight Howard to Shaq, Boozer & DWill to Malone & Stockton, Rip to Reggie. Unless you're a player with a truly unique style or attribute, such as Shaq, Nowitzki, AI, LeBron, or Amare, you can usually find someone who's come before you and go that route.

Point being, Roy has potential to be an all-star, if only b/c of his size and skill set. It's finding the best way to use them for both himself and the team that he has to discover.

[JarrettJackSG]

Really? Hibbert's defense is suspect, his offense is the best part of his game. He is more Patrick or Z or Hakeem (who taught Yao and I would love for him to teach big hibbert).

He probably would have excelled best in Utah.

[ajizzle]

Yes... Hakeem taught Yao, while he was in Toronto first... then in retirement.

Whereas Ewing was brought in specifically to help Yao in his development and was there for a couple of years.

C'mon, man! If you're gonna try to correct somebody, don't look like a fool doing it!

Look at Roy, dude. He doesn't have the lateral movement or quickness Zo, Pat, or Hakeem had. And those guys were instant 20-10 bigs. Roy may end up having one or two seasons like that if he's really determined; however, Dikembe was basically a 12-12 guy, w/ very little quickness, but length and got most of his points off of putbacks and off. rebs. Sound like anybody familiar?

[JarrettJackSG]

I don't see Roy being a 20-10 guy, i see him being 15-5 guy but he has the same moves as those guys I mentioned. Roy isn't nearly as good as a rebounder as Dikemebe and I doubt he will ever average more than 8 rebounds.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

Really? Hibbert's defense is suspect, his offense is the best part of his game. He is more Patrick or Z or Hakeem (who taught Yao and I would love for him to teach big hibbert).

He probably would have excelled best in Utah.

His defense is suspect because he is a rookie. He has shown flashes of being a great defender in this league. Last time I checked he was 2nd in the NBA in blocks per/48. If he is doing that as a rookie, and only grows and learns not to foul, he could be one of the best defensive players in the game. As for his rebounding, actually watch him play instead of just looking at the numbers. His rebounding worried me too, so I started watching what he was doing wrong, which ended up being nothing. When a shot goes up, he blocks his man out so far so the other Pacers can get the rebounds. He doesn't go for the rebound, just takes his guy out of the paint so Murphy or others can grab it. I'm perfectly fine with that strategy as we are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA. Watch him specifically in the game, he rarely does anything wrong when it comes to rebounding.

[JarrettJackSG]

The blocks are expected because of his length. I mean, if we took numbers into account, David Harrison would have been up there in blocks per 48. Of course, if his defense is as good as stated, he wouldn't be having so much foul trouble. Great defenders know how to defend and not foul (see Tim Duncan on Amare last christmas in crunch time). If he learns not to foul (and thats a big if, considering a lot of players never learn). I mean Harrison looked like he could be a lockdown defender at times.

His rebounding is not horrid, but I don't ever expect him to be a good rebounder. Our rebounding numbers are good because of who we have (Murphy, Rasho, Granger, Dunleavy when he returns, Marquis), but if we look to the future, I don't see us keeping Rasho, I don't know if Murphy will stay, and Marquis may not stay either. If we ever need a rebounding center, I don't expect Hibbert to be it. What concerns me is that he should be a dominant rebounder for his size, but he isn't.

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

With Hibberts I.Q. and work ethic, I'm fairly confident he will learn not to foul. David Harrison had a very low I.Q. and awful work ethic, Hibbert has all the tools he needs to improve his game. I still think Hibbert will be a good rebounder, he may never get as much as he should with his height, but I also think he could if he works with Foster over the off season. Hibbert has some very good players who could mentor him on rebounding with Foster and Murphy. Hibbert is more than willing to learn from everyone he can, and I can see Foster taking him under his wing and working with him.

[cdash]

Plus David Harrison hot-boxed in his car before every game. Couldn't have helped his game any.

I dont know that I like any of the comparisons for Roy all that much. He has a nice shooting touch and him being 7'3, I'd have to think he'll end up being a fairly effective scorer in the post. As for his defense, I agree with the poster-formerly-known-as-darkflashfox, its a little suspect. It will get better once he learns the nuances of the pro game, but he wont ever be in the Dikembe or Hakeem crowd.

[Grang33r]

Look how long it took Portland to become good? And they drafted gems. Roy. Webster. Aldridge. Fernandez. Oden. And still, they struggle at times. But finally this season they are coming to their own. I think the Pacers rebuilding plan is still a year away. I think we'll be a lottery team this season and next season just miss the playoffs, but we play in the weak East so we might make it and be one and done. Get another OK draft pick in 2010 with like the 15th or so draft pick. Probably pick best available or depth player, or maybe even move up a few slots. And then 2011 would be the season i think Pacers could be a top 4 teams. With Hibbert and Rush in their 3rd season, our rookie from this draft being a 2nd year pro and Granger being a NBA star.

Am I missing something? That list has 2 rookies, one a near lock to be an all star, another the next Manu Ginobili. They have been blowing away all expectations. And look how many times they had to be in the high lottery to get that. Webster was 6th. Roy was 7th. Aldridge was 2nd. Oden was 1st. Rudy was a steal at 24. Your point is completely moot.

That was my point. Look how many losing seasons and successful draft picks it too Portland, who were pretty much in the same situation as we were. Remember their nickname, the Jail Blazers? They kept building off the draft and they now have a very successful team and a very bright future. I think people need to slow down with how fast Hibbert and Rush will develop. It takes time. Some people take longer then others. And what i am saying is, since we have these young guys on our team and just because we are losing doesn't mean it's going to effect our future.