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Indiana Pacers continue to make strides to improve their defense.
Point guard Earl Watson, who was released by the Oklahoma City Thunder, agreed to a one-year deal with the Pacers on Friday, a person with knowledge of the situation said. Watson is on waivers for seven days.


Watson, 30, averaged 6.6 points and 5.8 assists in 68 games last season with the Thunder.
Watson, who is a defensive-minded player like recently signed Dahntay Jones, will help make up the loss of Jarrett Jack if the Pacers don’t match Toronto’s four-year, $20-million offer to him by Monday.

The Oklahoma City Thunder waived guard Earl Watson it was announced today by Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

The 8-year NBA veteran appeared in 68 games (18 starts) with Oklahoma City this past season and averaged 6.6 points, 5.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 26.1 minutes per contest.

Watson, a 6-1 guard out of UCLA, holds career averages of 7.3 points, 4.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds in 597 career games (156 starts) with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Denver Nuggets, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Seattle Supersonics.

slick_watts wrote:okc beat writer is saying you guys signed him.

http://twitter.com/DarnellMayberry

slick_watts wrote:watson took a step back last year but was still okay running the offense for a backup. he also plays pretty good defense.

just don't expect him to score efficiently..

McFurious1 wrote:http://twitter.com/DarnellMayberry

Being reported from Thunder beat writer... scroll down.


"Just heard Earl Watson has signed with Indiana.
about 1 hour ago from web"

edit: he also says it won't be offical until friday.

Supercollider wrote:From Mike Wells' (Indianapolis Star) tweet:

Mike Wells wrote:Earl Watson agrees to one-year deal with Pacers once he clears waivers, sources tell Indy Star.

And Chad Ford's tweet:

Chad Ford wrote:Look for Earl Watson to land in Indy after he clears waivers re a source close to Watson

Crossova21 wrote:Since we now have Watson, how does our point guard rotation look? I don't think any of them can play the 2 like Jack did last year so who's the odd man out?

BTW I like the move for Watson, but I don't understand how we can build chemistry if we bring in 5-7 new guys every year. O well at least we've been able to keep the starting line-up somewhat intact for next year.

NBA Scouting Reports, Northwest Division (Part Five)
October 24, 2008
Overview: A valuable asset at the point guard position due to his quickness, playmaking and all-around versatility. Tough to stay in front of due to his first step and speed. Lack of size hurts him a bit, but is tough and extremely crafty to make up for that. Possesses a 6-7 wingspan, which comes in very handy. Can do some damage in transition. One of the best in the league at racking up assists. A very solid shooter with his feet set or off the dribble from mid-range. Works hard on both ends. Picks up a decent amount of rebounds for a point guard. Put together a nice career at UCLA, and has steadily improved in the NBA. Was known as a great defender, which is something he has gotten away from a bit recently. May be a bit under the radar at this point due to his lack of playoff success. Brings some nice skills to the table in Seattle, but could be a tremendous role player on a contender.

Offense: Gets most of his offense as a ball handler in pick and roll and transition situations. Does a decent amount of scoring, but is also one of the league’s top-10 point guards statistically. Possesses a consistent shooting stroke with his feet set, particularly from mid-range, but also from beyond the arc. Won’t take many threes, but definitely can, as he proved earlier in his career. Will punish defenders who go underneath the screen on the pick and roll. Takes the vast majority of his jumpers off the dribble. Hits pull ups with very good consistency. Likes to attack the rim when he puts the ball on the floor. Isn’t always able to finish due to his lack of size and strength, but is very crafty around the hoop. Does a very good job turning the corner on pick and rolls and breaking his man down off the dribble. Won’t go to the line very often, and shoots a surprisingly low percentage considering his shooting touch. Good ball handler with his right hand, but is a bit too turnover prone at times. Struggles going left. Brings a lot to the table as a distributor. Seems to have improved year by year in that regard with added maturity and experience. Does a good job drawing defenders and deferring to teammates. Great passer off the pick and roll. Pretty unselfish and creative when he has to get the ball to his teammates.

Defense: An average defender who lacks the size and strength to make an impact on many nights. Capable of putting good pressure on the ball, but doesn’t appear to put as much effort into this end of the floor as he once did. Lack of size makes him susceptible to post-ups and pin-downs, and allows bigger players to shoot over the top of him with ease. Struggles fighting through screens at times. Displays very quick hands in the passing lanes.

Charcoal Filtered wrote:Surprised OKC could not find a trade partner and am happy he is a Pacer. The one year contract is the best part. It would have been awful to have to see Deiner in extended minutes and Jack is not worth the contract Toronto extended.