Are you a Fan of "The Plan"?

[Donerik]

We have all read about "the 3 year plan". I was wondering after seeing Larry Legend's alleged draft list, seeing who he's drafted, Danny, Shawne, Afrotop, Hibbs, and Tyler. We all know who he's signed and who he's traded for.

My Question is are you a fan of the plan? Do you like where Legend is steering our team? I'll reserve my thoughts of a future post as I don't want to poison the discussion with any preconceived thoughts. Please also write your thoughts before you read other people's thoughts.

[Miller4ever]

Thanks for using "AFROTOP". Don't forget to capitalize next time.

The plan may not be perfect, but it's sound in its philosophy and it really looked like it was beginning to work towards the end of last season. The plan has brought in good players, and we are close to becoming a winning team (everyone agrees that we are WAY more competitive than our record indicates).

Overall he's done a lot better thus far than most GM's in his position. Keep in mind that Dunleavy's still injured. The future looks bright.

[Granger da OG]

Hmmmm lets see the plan is to bring in proven winners instead of knuckleheads.............not really thinking there is a whole lot you can argue with that.

[Grang33r]

Great topic.

Yes and no.

Yes- I have always supported the plan and i agreed with it all along. The plan IMO was to get excitement and to fix our image as a basketball team. I think adding several players helped. TJ Ford was fun to watch. Granger is an excellent player. Our image has changed too and if someone like Shawne Williams disrupts that plan, they let him go. I totally agree with it. Once we got fans excited and our image is changed, then i think is the time to re-focus on winning and making a strong playoff push. I do not think we're there yet. That's why i said NO in my response. Drafting Hansbrough, and also wanting Lawson, and targeting Sam Young or Wayne Ellington just shows me they think we're very close to where they want to be and they want to draft "nba ready" players for instant help. I don't agree with that at all. I think they should have targeted younger players with higher upside then guys who are at their peak but can play now.

Maybe this draft was weak and these players were the only ones worth anything, i don't know, but i hope next year they don't pass on a guy who huge upside to grab a guy who can help us sooner.

[mizzoupacers]

I like the plan. Given the position the Pacers are in, patience is the best policy. I'm glad Bird finally decided to stop trying to fix a mess that had grown beyond fixing, and is now focused on getting the best guys he can through the draft while waiting for the bad salary situation to run its course (two more years to go on that front).

[DWCP2]

Only thing I wish they could have done was trade for a PG this year vs. next year, but there could be merit to waiting....

John Wall and Willie Warren are both likely lottery first round picks, but the secondary group could make some noise, Tyshaun Taylor, Derrico White, amongst others.

[jarrettjackfan]

I think they could still make a trade, I would watch for it. With T.J. Ford talking about getting dealt, and Jarrett Jack not getting closer to signing one of those guys could be dealt.

[PR07]

Yes, and no. I think any team can use all the winners and high character guys they can get. Rush, Hibbert, and now Psycho T were all proven winners on the college level from some of the game's best programs. The Pacers recent draft philosophy reminds me of what the Bulls did under Skiles when they drafted proven college winners like Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Chris Duhon, etc. and had some success for a few seasons there where it looked like they were becoming one of the NBA's up and coming teams. I think they're eventually going to have to take a chance on someone in the draft, you can't play it "safe" forever.

Also, I wish the organization would take more chances on cheap young talent. Taking a flyer on a Rodney Carney, Gerald Green, or Chris Wilcox. It looks like it might start paying off with Josh McRoberts.

[IndyMac]

I like what they are doing. They are assembling a group of talented young players while the wait for the veteran contracts to run out in 2 seasons. There's nothing else you can really do, so it's smart to be patient during this rebuild. We don't have any money to waste on overpaid free agents anyway.

Also, I like the way we've drafted the last few years. Drafting players with supposed "upside" is the easiest way to waste a draft pick. Bird seems to have learned this lesson with Shawne Williams. Dumb GMs draft athletic players, say they have "upside", and assume they will learn how to play basketball. Then, when the player doesn't, people say he was a "bust" who didn't live up to his potential, when the truth is he wasn't a very good basketball player to begin with. Dumb GMs also need to realize that a players age at the time they are drafted has little to do with how good they will become and stop assuming that 3-4 year college players have reached the peak of their skill level. They overlook things like a players drive and work ethic and his basketball IQ; either because they don't realize that this is what all the great players have in common, or because they are arrogant enough to think they can instill a work ethic and a high basketball IQ in the players they draft. Of course, there are also the completely unrealistic expectations the media and fans place on the draft, but I won't go into that.

[cdash]

I'm a fan of the plan if it works.

[jarrettjackfan]

I agree 100 percent with cdash haha, I'm still not convinced that it is going to work, but I'm hoping that it will.

[8305]

I read where one of the draft commentators said that Larry isn't taking any big risks. Just trying for singles and doubles right now. I think that's a pretty good analogy of what has been done since Larry has been in total control.

Accumulate these low risk assets and see where you are the next couple of years. NBA ready guys who fit the system can slide into the rotation immediately and establish their value in the league. At some point someone will be in start over mode and that is when guys like Garnett, Gasol or further back Rasheed Wallace become available. If you've managed the cap and accumulated the young assets you are in a good position to acquire "the guy" to pair with Granger and make your run.

The only players who aren't good candidates to improve their respective games are Murphy and Foster. With that in mind baring significant injury this team should improve.

I don't totally rule out the possibility that Rush could take a quantum leap and become a very good player. In any event I really like the idea of having two long, athletic, wings who can get things done both offensively and defensively.

I'm a season ticket and I'm looking forward to the start of the season.

[Indy4Life]

I think we look alot like a contender for the title. We are just missing one piece...granted that piece is HUGE.

We need a high end PG. All of the other pieces are here and will be here for a few years.

When we get rid of Murph and Dunleavy's contracts...we should have a max contract to offer to a CP3 or DWilliams who will be heading into free agency.

We are good enough this year to be in the playoffs...and we can be dangerous, but not a threat for the title currently.

2011 Williams/Rush/Granger/Tyler/Roy - That team can be a legit title contender.

So, to answer the question...

Yes - I like the plan. We have an average team, but have a good core of young players.

[IndyMac]

Paul and Williams won't be free agents until 2012, the year after Murphy and Dunleavy's contracts are up. And, that's only if they don't exercise their contract options. I'm not saying we shouldn't try to sign them 3 years from now, but we've got other things to worry about until then.

[cdash]

I read where one of the draft commentators said that Larry isn't taking any big risks. Just trying for singles and doubles right now. I think that's a pretty good analogy of what has been done since Larry has been in total control.

Accumulate these low risk assets and see where you are the next couple of years. NBA ready guys who fit the system can slide into the rotation immediately and establish their value in the league. At some point someone will be in start over mode and that is when guys like Garnett, Gasol or further back Rasheed Wallace become available. If you've managed the cap and accumulated the young assets you are in a good position to acquire "the guy" to pair with Granger and make your run.

The only players who aren't good candidates to improve their respective games are Murphy and Foster. With that in mind baring significant injury this team should improve.

I don't totally rule out the possibility that Rush could take a quantum leap and become a very good player. In any event I really like the idea of having two long, athletic, wings who can get things done both offensively and defensively.

I'm a season ticket and I'm looking forward to the start of the season.

Yeah, it was Chad Ford who said that, and he has repeated it numerous times.

To elaborate on my previous 5,000 word post, yes, I am a fan of the plan. A year ago at this time, I was wondering if we even had a plan. Now that Bird has come out and admitted he has a plan, I am beginning to see it. I agree with Ford, singles and doubles are nice, but at some point, we need another high impact player next to Granger. Rush is the only person on the roster who has that potential in my eyes (some will argue for Hibbert, and to a lesser extent, Hansbrough). I think we have positioned ourselves well for the future, especially after next season, when we will be armed to the teeth with expiring contracts.

[Miller4ever]

I think we look alot like a contender for the title. We are just missing one piece...granted that piece is HUGE.

We need a high end PG.

Like the Lakers who just won a championship with old Derek Fisher?

Not saying switching to triangle solves the problem, but I think that we don't need an all-star in that position to contend. See Rafer Alston vs. Mo Williams.

I don't think we need to go around looking for a "high-end" PG. If Jack can rack up 12 and 7 as a starter, that'd be good enough for me. I think we need a better bench and we need a better PF. And time. Mostly, we just need time with the same core.

[8305]

I think everyone agrees the Pacers need at least one other very good player to be anything more than a first round playoff participant. The most likely way to get this player is in a trade. The Lakers drafted Kobe Bryant but traded for Pau Gasol, Boston traded for Garnett and Allen, Detroit traded for Rasheed Wallace. There was a good bit of luck involved in each of these acquisitions but there some other similarities involved. Cap space, young talent and expiring contracts.

We are getting there. Next year we will have expiring contracts. The year after that cap space. We should have a few more good young players by then also. Then we will see if Larry is smart enough to identify the right trade.

In the meantime the product we are paying to watch is competitive. Really don't know that much more could be asked of Bird to this point.

[Wizop]

I think everyone agrees the Pacers need at least one other very good player to be anything more than a first round playoff participant. The most likely way to get this player is in a trade.

or the 2010 draft. give the plan time.

as for 2011 cap room, you are assuming that Dunleavy and Murphy are allowed to move on and Rush and Hibbert are the starters but you aren't figuring in that if that is the case Rush and Hibbert's rookie contracts would be over and they would need to be resigned at starter's money.