Pacers Forever wrote:JMaster5K wrote:Wizop wrote:
I gave up at halftime and watched colts podcasts but I wouldn't read too much into tonight. Garbage time came early.
In the Bulls coverage, even the Indystar coverage had to admit that Coach was having to extend his rotations & limit his playing time because of a back-to-back-to-back,.. with the 3rd game the Bucks. NOT an ideal schedule, particularly this late in the season. As another poster commented in another thread,... our record in the second game of back-to-backs is abyssmal. Even less confident of a 3rd game in 3, with Tyrese likely out?......
Unfortunately for us,... this week (and how it plays into the next couple) could define how we go into the playoffs & homecourt for the first round.

Though, Jarace did seem to play a bit better against the Bulls than the Hawks,... 14 minutes, +6,... but it still didn't look like a 'more than a rotation player' stat line? Was his defense better against the Bulls?
I watched the entire Bulls game and the white flag came out early. Furphy impressed me with his hustle and ability to get rebounds with 8. His shot was way off.
Ray J Dennis hustles but is G league level.
I like Quenton Jackson’s quickness but as most of the G league players we bring up they’re much better in equal talent settings than in the NBA games. He went a dismal 2-8.
Tony Bradley actually looked good in 8 minutes of play. He went 3-3 for 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block.
Jarace Walker looked like he was hustling among the subs on the floor but he didn’t stand out. He really looks like a player who if he’s not playing consistently he struggles to play well. I haven’t given up on him however he is not getting the opportunity to grow or impress in games. Not sure if he will be in the future plans.
Thanks Mate, for your insight. Very much appreciated.
I made a comment, that in full disclosure I had to back away from a bit, just after training camp/summer league, when we drafted Jarace,... that I saw some Wayman Tisdale in him. Most of the replies to that comment were absolutely correct, and focused on his game, about how different his game is from Wayman. What I was trying to say wasn't about his game, but about his personality. That, like Wayman, he might be too nice a guy for NBA competition?
I was and still am really hoping to be wrong. But the more I see,... the more that comparison, in terms of personality & motivation, comes back to me. If you need a guy to put the team on his back, get a lead in the game, then stand on the other teams throat while you put the game away,... from what I've so far, that just isn't him.
Most explosive player on the team = yes, NBA level or better athlete - yes, most diverse & potentially impactful skillset = yes, most inexperienced & in need of growth = yes, most likely to develop a desire to dominate an opponent & win a game by 50 = no. He has the ability to be that player. He just doesn't seem to have that personality?
I do see moments where I think he might have some of that in him. I have to keep reminding myself,... this is only his second year in the league,... and he's only 21. How many people have we seen in the NBA, that don't really 'mature' as a player & make an impact until they are 23 or older, and they get a bigger opportunity?.... (Oladipo for example? Tyrese for example?)