Chad Ford's Pacer predictions?

[granger05]

Chad Ford mentioned us in his latest blog entry:

Avery Bradley and Eric Bledsoe were both helped by two straight days of great shooting and hustle. I would love to see those two go at it in workouts. Their first one together is scheduled for Indiana in early June. If one really shines, he could convince the Pacers, who are in desperate need of a point guard, to grab him at No. 10.

This comes after he also mentioned us as a possibility to trade for the #2 pick (no link for that, but it was also posted in the 76ers thread). I've noticed over the years that Chad Ford seems to talk about the Pacers quite a bit, at least compared to other national columnists. However, I'm not sure his information is really solid since I think he's been expecting us to draft a PG for the better part of a decade.

I do appreciate that he gives us some pub, but I'm curious if anyone else has noticed or has examples of him missing on our personnel moves?

[Aiq]

ha he's predicted that because we've needed to draft a point guard for the better part of a decade. We've had decent drafts at best the past 10years. Only a few good-really good players. Most have just been terrible...see David Harrison. Anyone know whatever happened to Fred Jones? He used to be decent.

[glasket]

I think after Price's injury every single mock draft will have us picking a point guard.
The best point guard outside John Wall looks to be Eric Bledsoe so expect his name to be mentioned a lot.

[PR07]

We should pick the player that projects to be the best, and not be purely need driven.

[8305]

We should pick the player that projects to be the best, and not be purely need driven.

Absolutely!!!!!

[Moooose]

I think after Price's injury every single mock draft will have us picking a point guard.
The best point guard outside John Wall looks to be Eric Bledsoe so expect his name to be mentioned a lot.

Yes, but Bledsoe really is a reach at the 10th, with possibly Udoh, Patterson, and Henry all available, i'd be shocked if we go for Bledsoe. I have a gut feeling that the point guard we're looking for will come from the free agency market, though it's not impossible, i don't think Bird and Obie would like to have a rookie point guard as a starter.

[glasket]

Agree, our starting point guard will be via free agency most likely.
The other alternatives are trading for one or trading down in the draft to take Bledsoe.
However oputside Wall there is no immediate starter PG in this draft.

[Aiq]

as much as i hate to say it, for me it boils down to: can we win a championship with the current roster and a vet. pg from f/a? NO. 2. Could we make the playoff and win a game? NO 3.Could we use the year to develop young players and build toward the future. YES.

I'd love to just admit we are going to suck and develop our youngsters. I feel awful for DG, but next yr we will suck. develop our younger guys for a yr, get some f/a help in the next offseason, draft well n we could at least make the playoffs. A rookie starting pg probably wouldn't fair all that well, but giving him a year to develop and make mistakes could end up being great for us. I know obie and Bird believe that we can squeak into the playoffs and get swept, which maybe we could do, but that wouldn't do anything for us at all. I'm tired of stop gap point guards and players.

[Moooose]

^ For the last 3 years or so, we've been doing exactly like that - using the season trying to develop Granger, then Rush and Hibbert, next season could be used to develop Hansbrough and Price, it keeps on piling up. The development of the young guys are eating up Granger's contract and maybe his patience too. I don't wanna see Granger reach the end of his contract without us making the playoffs.
With some smart decisions this year regarding the point guard and maybe the sg situations, with a good draft, and with the help of our expiring contracts in Murphy and Dunleavy (who would probably use this season to make their names stand out in next year's free agency), i think we have a shot in returning to the playoffs even as the 7th or 8th seed next season.
A return to the playoffs would mean we're on the right track in the development of the young guys and it would determine the team chemistry that suits us, i mean the right set of guys. Development would eventually come, everyone would eventually get their minutes and opportunities. But it's wrong to just watch and hope they turn into stars someday by using the season just to develop players and risk everything else just for the youngsters to have experience. I don't believe we could make a good team primarily through drafts alone because we're always out of position to draft could-be franchise players (except the Granger case) like OKC.
If we're gonna have another experimental year next season, it would hurt the fans and the players emotionally, the ballclub financially and maybe my neighbor physically.

[mizzoupacers]

I think Bledsoe's stock will rise considerably if he does well in the predraft camps/workouts--maybe by draft night taking him at #10 won't seem like a "reach" any more. I'm not predicting he'll rise like that--beats me how he's going to do in the predraft settings--but it seems possible at this point that he's a very good pg who was blocked by Wall at Kentucky.

I guess Avery could rise through the workouts too...but Texas fell apart last year and a big part of it was that their point-guard play was terrible. They were starting some guy at pg (can't remember his name) who couldn't score to save his life and wasn't a particularly good defender either...if Avery were really a point guard, I think he'd have been playing it at Texas last year. So I'm really skeptical that he's a point guard; I'll believe it when I see it.

[indygeezer]

You realize that drafting, and relying on, a PG other than John Walls just hands Bird a reason to re-sign JOB at the end of the year?

"He's been handicapped by having to rely on a rookie Point Gaurd... yada yada yada"

[DWCP2]

This is where the Pacers position in 2011 comes into play. If they can make improvments to the roster using 32 million in expiring contracts vs. 32 million in cap space in 2011. Why should they do it?

It really depends on the deal. Turner or Wall next to Granger would be a gem of a deal if the return contracts aren't too outrageous. Brand has 51 million and 3 years remaining on a horendous contract, but measure that against having to overspend to find a quality guy opposite Granger regardless of position, and the Pacers could very well be spending just as much.

[ardthomp]

Here are the unrestricted PG free agents for this summer:
Nate Robinson-Ray Felton-Larry Hughes (PG/SG)-Acie Law-Ronald Murray-Jannero Pargo-Anthony Carter-Steve Blake-Derek Fisher-Jamaal Tinsley-Marcus Williams-Rafer Alston-Carlos Arroyo-Luke Ridnour-Chris Quinn-Chris Duhon-Kevin Ollie-Anthony Johnson-Jason Williams-Travis Diener-Earl Boykins-Shaun Livingston

Of those, I could see Luke Ridnour or Anthony Carter being the most likely to come to the team. Why? They just seem to fit the style of player that Larry Bird likes.

[Charcoal Filtered]

I do not think we will be taking a PG at 10. Agree with others that either we take the best player available regardless of position or trade down. We could also trade up by using some of our expiring deals for longer contracts, but have a hard time believing we could make it all the way up to #2.

Livingston maybe a player we should target. He put up decent numbers for the Wiz and has alot of upside. I am not expecting much next year and it will not hurt me too much if the move produces nothing.

[Donerik]

A few quick thoughts, no price outside of danny, roy or all 3 giant expring contracts is to high for Turner. He played point at OSU right? in all seriousness it solves our need at SG and we might be able to move rush and a future first rounder or second rounder for a later first round pick, or point guard.

Either of those guys (Avery Bradley or Eric Bledsoe) would be a reach at 10, someone would have to be willing to trade up for the 10th and maybe dallas's pick.

If we don't get those guys all is not lost, If we were pinning our hopes on a second rounder from last year there will be many second rounders this year we can pin our hopes on.

[Wizop]

I'm tired of stop gap point guards and players.

and I don't think Price's injury changes any of Bird's plans as I know O'B doesn't see him as having starter talent.