Happy New Year everyone!

Unfortunately, the Pacers suffered their first loss of the 2011-2012 season, a not-as-close-as-the-scoreline-suggests 96-88 drubbing at the hands of the Detroit Pistons, the team the Pacers handled with ease in the season opener.

While the result is disappointing because the Pistons suck, it was not unexpected.  The Pacers have been struggling to put the ball in the hole all season, and again they failed to shoot 40% (four times out of four games thus far).

Sure, they were playing their third game in four nights and were coming off a tiring overtime victory against the Cavs, plus they didn't arrive in Detroit until 3am the night before.  It might have explained the sluggish play right from the tip, but it's not an excuse.  Every team is going to be faced with a tougher than usual schedule this season, and the Pistons simply looked like they wanted it more.

While the Pacers looked tentative and lacked confidence, the Pistons were decisive and confident.  They made a run in the final few minutes but Paul George first coughed up an easy full court pass that would have cut the lead down to 4 points with more than a minute to go, then allowed an offensive rebound and put back and he had position under the ring.  That just about summed up the evening.  Instead of smash mouth basketball, the Pacers were smashed in the mouth.

Darren Collison was the standout in an off night for just about everyone, scoring 15, grabbing 5 boards and dishing 8 assists.  He's not going to be Chris Paul, but Collison's improvement, including on the defensive end, is heartening.  George Hill seemed to have broken out with 16 points on 7-11 shooting, and hopefully this signals the beginning of a trend.  Hansbrough also had 16 in another one of his "how did he do it?" nights.

No one else was really worth mentioning, except Dahntay Jones, who is simply excruciating to watch.  It makes me sigh: if the Pacers had managed to secure OJ Mayo or Jamal Crawford we wouldn't need to watch him force up bad shot after bad shot every night. Why not give AJ Price a run?

Nevertheless, just as it was overreacting to jump on the bandwagon after their 3-0 start, it would also be an overreaction to say the Pacers are in for a long season.  The team has a lot to work on, but they are heading in the right direction. 

Next up, a road game against the struggling Nets, a game the Pacers really should not take for granted.  The Nets will be hungry for a win.  no comments

Another game, another win for the Indiana Pacers, who start the season 3-0 for the first time since 2007-2008 (let's forget what happened after that).  I could get used to this.

In yet another struggle, the Pacers dodged a bullet and overcome no.1 overall pick Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers, 98-91 in OT.  This was another scrappy game punctuated by an overall team performance with a few standouts, but to be fair, it should never have gotten this close.  

After trailing for all of the first half (and by as much as 8 points), the Pacers turned it on in second half behindRoy Hibbert's tremendous play and led by as much as 11 points.  But then, coach Vogel inexplicably pulled out most of the starters, and with Dahntay Jones having a shocker, the Cavs eventually pulled back to take a 2-point lead late in the fourth.  David West (14 points, 10 rebounds) responded with a huge basket, and on the final play of regulation, Irving missed an almost wide open, point blank layup at the buzzer he ordinarily would have made 99 times out of 100, allowing the Pacers to escape into overtime.

Once they got into OT, the Pacers steadied themselves.  Danny Granger hit some big shots (9 of the team's 14 points) and the Pacers held off the Cavs in the end.

A great effort all around for the Pacers again.  Granger led the team in scoring again with 22 points (though another poor shooting night, 8-22 from the field), but it was really the play of Hibbert in the third quarter andGeorge Hill in the first half that allowed the Pacers to get in a position to win the game.  Hibbert had 17 points and 13 rebounds for his third consecutive double-double, shot 7-11 from the field and swatted 3 big shots.  Hill finally played his first decent game as a Pacer (just as well, Paul George had an off night) with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 massive steals.

Tyler Hansbrough continued to provide a power surge off the bench with yet another double-double of his own (11 points and 12 boards).  In all, it was a stellar team effort and it's good to see the team finding their identity -- a mediocre offensive team (they shot under 40% for the third consecutive game) that plays smash mouth basketball, hustles, grabs offensive boards and grinds out victories.  If they can only improve their offensive capabilities then they will be a team to be reckoned with.

One thing I have noticed is that Granger and West tend to play quite well together down the stretch.  To be honest, when the clock is winding down and the team needs a basket, I feel most comfortable when the ball is in David West's hands.  Usually when the Pacers sign a highly touted player they suddenly turn to crap, but so far, even with the rust from his ACL surgery, West is proving to be a great signing, giving the Pacers exactly the type of poise down the stretch they need.

Moving forward, the Pacers clearly need to get a lot better, especially offensively and taking care of the basketball.  Shooting below 40% is not going to get it done against quality teams.  So far they have played three of the worst teams in the league, so while it's nice to be 3-0, they have a lot of work to do if they want to stay above 0.500 with all the road games coming up. no comments

Apologies for the absence the last few days. Playoffs aside, this was the most important part of the post-lockout season, and I was strangely absent. Not that any of you care, but I had a good reason: I've become a dad! Look out, because in about 20 years the NBA will have a new star.

In the meantime, the Indiana Pacers began their season with a 2-0 start, downing Detroit at home (91-79) and then Toronto on the road (90-85). Sure, neither win was against a top notch team, but a win is a win, and with the Pacers beginning the season with 15 of their first 22 games on the road, they're going to have to dig deep to pull some of these out.

Observations

The Pacers beat two mediocre teams, one with ease (Detroit) and the other ought to have been easier (Toronto). It's only two games into shortened season with a shortened training camp and two new key players (David West and George Hill), but a few things are already jumping out at me.

• the Pacers are playing good D -- the Pacers have carried that defensive intensity they displayed against the Bulls in the playoffs last season into this season. From what I have see, everyone is playing hard. They don't have any guys that can flat out shut down opponents, but as a whole they are working as a unit and it's working. That said, we'll have to wait until they play an elite offensive team before we can declare them a genuinely strong defensive team. Remember, last season the Pacers played pretty good D to start the season too, but that deteriorated significantly until the playoffs.

• the Pacers are playing 'smash mouth' basketball -- Frank Vogel did not lie. The Pacers are playing his brand of basketball -- smash mouth basketball -- going after every loose ball, pounding the offensive boards, scrambling on D, taking charges and knocking guys to the floor if they have to.  It's not pretty at times but it's been effective for the most part (the Pacers grabbed 30 offensive boards in the first 2 games). However, it remains to be seen whether they can keep this kind of intensity up in the long run.

• the Pacers need to work out their offense -- flashes of brilliance, but the Pacers have not been very good offensively. Some of that can be attributed to the long layoff, new teammates and a lack of conditioning, but there were still far too many bad shots and miscommunications.  The Pacers shot 36.8% against the Pistons and 39.5% against the Raptors, and despite playing good D, this type of percentage is not going to get it done against better opponents.

• Pacers still playing too sloppily -- this has been a persisting problem for the Pacers and it will take some time for them to work things out. There have been numerous head scratching plays and careless turnovers (almost all have had a couple each). They had 10 turnovers against the Pistons and 16 against the Raptors and many were utterly avoidable. Hopefully, as they become more familiar with each other, the Pacers will find a way to take better care of the ball.

• Roy Hibbert has improved -- he's still awkward at times, but big man Roy Hibbert looks far more confident out there than he did at stretches of last season.  His post game is more patient and his shots are more considered -- he has been tossing up less of those 'hope for the best' hook throws and has been utilizing his height better. The most notable improvement has been his rebounding.  Hibbert had double-doubles in both games (16-14 and 12-10), including 7 offensive boards overall. I love what I am seeing from the big fella, hope he can keep it up.

• Granger can't find his shot but is a happy man -- while Granger's shot hasn't been falling (6/18 and 8/19), he has still somehow managed to lead the team in scoring both games. But he doesn't have to be, and it's something he has acknowledged. Granger is in a good place right now and keeps raving on about the number of weapons the Pacers have. He knows he doesn't have to be the man every night and he has excellent teammates he can defer to. Perhaps we will see this reflected in his assist totals.

• George Hill is still finding his feet -- I think George Hill has realized how easy it was playing with the likes of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, and it's going to take an adjustment before he finds his place on this Pacers team. So far, Hill has underperformed, scoring just 4 points in his debut and 3 points (going 0/5 from the field) against the Raptors -- but you can see from the way he plays that he knows how to play the game and will be an invaluable asset moving forward.  I'd like to see Vogel give him more minutes (he's played 24 and 19 minutes, respectively) to show what he can do.

• Paul George is going to be a star -- maybe I'm being overly optimistic here, but I have a feeling that George will eventually become the best player on the team.  His game has taken another step this season -- apart from growing 2 inches to 6'10", George has been a lot more aggressive offensively and has clearly worked on his 3-point game (he has shot 6/10 thus far). He's averaging 15 points per game right now and there's no reason why he can't keep this up.

• David West makes a huge difference -- I was somewhat skeptical when the Pacers signed West during the offseason but he has made a tremendous difference to this team. He's a great post player, excellent mid-range shooter and as solid as a rock. Coming back from ACL surgery, he still has plenty of rust and conditioning issues, but I worry much less whenever he is on the floor. He gives the Pacers that much needed offensive punch in the post. His numbers thus far have been just okay (11-12 and 14-6) but I expect him to occupy a bigger role as the season rolls along. He's that second reliable scoring option the Pacers have longed for. In fact, he will probably become the most reliable scoring option on the team before long.

• Hansbrough is a great 6th man -- the experts were right -- Hansbrough does make a fantastic sixth man. The energy he brings is unmatched in the league and coming off the bench against second units can hide a lot of his weaknesses.  He won't have great numbers every night (15-13 vs the Pistons and 8-8 vs the Raptors), but if the matchups are right, expect Vogel to go to him and watch him explode.

In short, a good start. Plenty to work on but I like what I see. As Granger has been saying, this team really has so many awesome options.  

You've got Granger's shooting (which can only improve); David West's low-post game and veteran stability; Hibbert's 7'2" presence, post-game and shot blocking; Paul George's length, athleticism, slashing and (now) 3-point shot; Collison's blistering speed and passing (when he decides to); Hansbrough's energy and ability to score in spurts; George Hill's structured skill-set and slashing; and Dahntay Jones's athleticism and defense.  

On top of this core you still have the youthful potential of Lance Stephenson (he appears to have grown up a little); the hustle of Lou Amundson and Jeff Pendergraph (when he recovers from injury); the rebounding, hustle and veteran leadership of Jeff Foster (when he recovers from injury); and the scoring ability of AJ Price (if he ever gets a chance to play -- personally I think he makes a fantastic third-string guard).  

I love the fact that the Pacers have so many hustle bruisers like Hansbrough, Amundson, Pendergraph and Foster. I love the fact that in today's game against the Raptors, Granger hit the big 3-pointer to provide some much-needed breathing room down the stretch, and then David West closed it out with a one-on-one baseline jumper.

That's all for now.  Pacers play the Cavs next at home before embarking on a 4-game road trip that ends with the Heat and the Celtics.  Could they start the season 5-0? 

 
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Whoa!  And you thought the Pacers were never going to get rid of Brandon Rush.

Although this has not yet been finalized, various reports around the league are whispering that the Pacers have either agreed to are are very close to agreeing to swapping Brandon Rush for the Warrior's Lou Amundson.

Though it's not fair to take pot shots at his single preseason performance yesterday, Rush did look very much like the exact same player he has been for the past three years (ie, not very good).  That, coupled with the drug suspensions and the Twitter incident (in which homophobic comments were tweeted during a heated exchange with a fan -- Rush claims his account was "definitely" hacked), plus the Pacers' overloaded wing position, meant that Rush was going to be on the way out sooner than later.

Now it looks it it will be soon (hopefully).

What about the player the Pacers will get in return?  Amundson is not a household name but NBA fans will remember him as the guy (when he was in Phoenix) who was decked by Zach Randolph and lived to tell the tale.  He's no superstar (6'9", career averages of 4.1 points, 3.7 rebounds), but Amundson will provide another much-needed big body and a never-back-down attitude.

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Almost 8 months since their last game, the Indiana Pacers returned to action today against the team that knocked them out of the 2010 playoffs -- the Chicago Bulls.  And like that exciting, competitive first round series, the Bulls came out on top again this time, 95-86.  Sure, it's just a preseason game, but considering there are only two (the teams play each other once more) before this condensed season begins, the players would have no doubt put in a little extra effort.

The game in a nutshell: The Pacers jumped out to an early lead and led 33-22 after the first quarter, but the Bulls came storming back to take a 52-47 halftime lead, holding the Pacers to just 14 second quarter points.  The Pacers would pull within 1 point after three quarters, but the Bulls would pull away in the fourth for the final score, 95-86.  Neither team was spectacular, but like they did before, Derrick Rose and the Bulls would summon that extra gear when they needed it, and the Pacers would simply have no answer.

What I liked:

1. Tyler Hansbrough's team leading 19 points and 11 rebounds -- with David West sitting out, Psycho-T showed that he's not quite ready to relinquish his starting job just yet.  If he can keep up this level of play, Frank Vogel will have no choice but to give him more minutes.  That will be a good thing, as it will give West more time to recover from his ACL surgery and give Hansbrough more time to develop.  In short spurts Hansbrough will be one of the most potent forces off the bench in the entire league.  It's early, but could he possibly be a Sixth Man of the Year candidate? 

2. Paul George's 17 points and 10 rebounds -- the expectations are sky high for PG, who grew 2 inches to 6'10" during the extended offseason.  He did not disappoint, with a stellar 17 and 10 performance.  Even though PG only shot 5-13, he was aggressive, getting to the line 10 times (though he only made 6) and grabbed 5 offensive boards.  If he can only find his stroke, PG is going to be a force to be reckoned with this season.

3. Jeff Foster's 10 rebounds in 18 minutes -- does this look like a man in the twilight of his career?  Newly re-signed Jeff Foster was as feisty on the boards as ever, grabbing 10 big ones in just 18 minutes, including 5 offensive boards.  This is what Indiana loves about him, and let's hope he can remain healthy enough to produce these kinds of numbers on a regular basis.

What I didn't like:

1. Danny Granger's performance -- disappointing night for the Pacers' leader, Danny Granger, who finished with 12 points on 5-17 shooting.  The most glaring number is the ZERO free throw attempts.  After all that talk about being more aggressive in taking the ball to the hole and working on his ball handling and so forth, Granger forgot to walk the walk.  Let's hope this was just an anomaly and Granger will get his act together next game -- or else those Granger trade rumors might finally become a reality...

2. Hibbert's foul woes -- Big Roy did his best and put in decent numbers (14 points and 7 rebounds on 5-10 shooting) but he struggled with foul trouble for most of the night, and missed 5 of his 9 free throws.  The big fellas has to do better than that, though to be fair 4 of his 7 rebounds were on the offensive end.

3. George Hill's debut -- the long awaited debut of George Hill in a Pacers uniform didn't turn out as planned.  Hill played 19 minutes and finished with 3 points and 1 assist on 1-7 shooting.  Perhaps it was playing with his new teammates for the first time, or perhaps it was the pressure of playing at home (Hill is from Indiana).  Either way, it's not the start most envisioned for him.  Alas, it's just a preseason game, so let's not read too much into it.

4. The rest of the Pacers bench -- not a single player from the Pacers bench scored more than 3 points.  Dahntay Jones, 0-5, zero points.  Lance Stephenson, 1-3, 2 points.  Brandon Rush, 1-2, 3 points.  All starters have positive plus-minuses, and all reserves had negative plus-minuses. That's the difference in the game right there.  As a team they shot only 33.7%, and much of the blame has to go to the bench, who shot just 4-23 from the field (17.4%).

5. No David West -- no explanation necessary.  We want to see him in a Pacers uniform, and soon.

Next game is on Tuesday.  Maybe the Pacers can get a win in Chicago.   no comments

Finally, I caught up.  Shortly before the tip-off of the Pacers first preseason game for 2011-2012 (against the Chicago Bulls), I am finally at the very last of my player review posts for last season.  And who better to cap it off than Danny Granger, the best player on the team?

Well, even though Danny was the Pacers' best player again for like the fourth season in a row, and even though he had moments of brilliance, on the whole it was a so-so season for him. The 27-year-old stayed relatively healthy, playing in 79 games (the most since 2007-2008), but his numbers were on the slide for the second consecutive season after plateauing in 2008-2009.

In 2010-2011, Granger averaged 20.5 points per game, 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks, all down from the previous year (where he averaged 24.1 ppg).  This is a drop of a different kind from the season following his plateau year, where his scoring dropped a little but he picked up the slack in other areas of his game.  This season, Granger's production is down in almost all areas, including his field goal percentage (0.425), the lowest of his career and far too low for the unequivocal star of a playoff team. 

However, the numbers may be deceiving, because Granger only played 35 minutes a night, compared to 36.7 from the year before.  There were also other scoring options in Roy Hibbert and Darren Collison and Tyler Hansbrough (on occasion).  Granger didn't need to carry the load like he did in previous years.

That said, it would have been more satisfying to see Granger put more effort into other areas of his game, especially on D, where he was once projected to be a lock-down type player.  Granger is still not that type of player, and I think it is still more to do with mentality than a lack of size or quickness.  Offensively, Granger continued to settle for too many outside shots -- more so during the Jim O'Brien era than the Frank Vogel one, but nonetheless too many.  No one is telling him to take less good three-point shots, but on the occasions where the three is not there, Granger needed to drive it more and/or draw more fouls.  However, to be fair, when he did try to drive, Granger was not always successful, often losing the ball or forcing up low percentage contested shots.

It's actually been the same thing over the last few years, and it appears Granger is finally taking notice, working more on his ball handling and left hand finishes during this offseason.  Let's hope it pays off.

If there is one aspect of Granger's game that has clearly grown, it's his leadership.  With a nucleus of young stars with 3 years of experience or less, such as Hibbert, Collison, Hansbrough and Paul George (his starting teammates towards the end of the season and playoffs), Granger took it upon himself to be more of a leader.  And this was exemplified by his hard nosed play during the playoffs against the Bulls, where the 8th seeded Pacers never backed down against an obviously superior opponent.

Yes, he failed to deliver on numerous occasions when the clock was winding down and the game was close, but I loved the fact that Granger wanted to be the man that took the last shot.  That was the same kind of mentality Reggie Miller had.  If Granger can channel that attitude consistently in the new season (he did show initiative by organizing player-only practices during the lockout along with Jeff Foster), the Pacers will go far.

Now with David West on the team, Granger's offensive output will likely decrease again, but as long as his efforts show up in the win-loss column, I'm sure Granger will be happy.  That's the kind of player he is and that's why the Pacers are lucky to have him.

Grade: B
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Looks like the Pacers may have finished their dealings for the offseason.  

Jamal Crawford has signed with the Portland Trailblazers for 2 years and $10 million, including a player option in the second year.  That's unfortunate because Larry Bird offered Crawford the same (or very similar terms) for him to come to Indiana, but he balked at the idea.  Looks like Crawford may have overestimated his own value in the league.  Maybe he thinks the Blazers have more potential or will give him more playing time.  Or maybe he just doesn't like Indiana.  Doesn't matter.

The other guy the Pacers were looking at, David West's teammate Carl Landry, has re-signed with the Hornets for one year at $9 million.  Considering West cost $10 million, that price would have been more than the Pacers were willing to part with.

Lastly, Yahoo! Sports reports that Andrei Kirilenko, curently under contract in Moscow, is very close to signing with the New Jersey Nets.  I haven't heard much about him having serious talks with the Pacers, so it might very well be that the Pacers are done dealing and will start focusing on the upcoming season (David West won't play in the preseason game against the Bulls, by the way).

If so, the Pacers stil had a fantastic offseason, one that gives fans plenty of confidence entering the shortened 2011-2012 season.  First of all, the players kept in contact and conducted their own practices during the lockout so that everyone remained in relatively good shape.  Secondly, the young players continued to work hard and grow (some literally -- apparently Paul George grew two inches and is now a 6'10" shooting guard!!!!!!).

Thirdly, the Pacers shred players they didn't really need/did not re-sign them (and is it just me or did all these players struggle on the defensive end?) -- TJ Ford, Mike Dunleavy, James Posey and Josh McRoberts (I would have liked to have seen McBob back, personally).

Fourthly, they either brought in or brought back players they needed without breaking the bank -- big signings David West (at good value and low risk) and George Hill (for the 10th pick in a weak draft), Jeff Foster (who deserves to finish as a Pacer) and Jeff Pendergraph (high potential and low risk).

Sure, it would have been great had they traded Rush (and McBob) for Mayo or if they had landed Crawford, or if they found takers for Rush or Dahntay Jones...but it's been good enough.

The current roster looks like this:

PG: Darren Collison / George Hill / AJ Price / Lance Stephenson
SG: Paul George / George Hill / AJ Price / Lance Stephenson / Dahntay Jones / Brandon Rush
SF: Danny Granger / Paul George / Dahntay Jones / Brandon Rush
PF: David West / Tyler Hansbrough/ Danny Granger / Jeff Pendergraph / Jeff Foster
C: Roy Hibbert / Jeff Foster

Yep, looks pretty good.  Hansbrough and Pendergraph could probably play some five, but it would be good if the Pacers could land another big guy.  That could be Jarrid Famous or Matt Rogers, both of whom are 6'11" rookies in camp with the Pacers at the moment. no comments

After the signing of All-Star forward David West, I expected the good news to keep rolling in.

But alas, it was not to be.  The Pacers failed again in their attempt to procure OJ Mayo from the Memphis Grizzlies through a sign a trade involving Josh McRoberts (and possibly Brandon Rush, which is probably what killed the deal), and now it looks like the Pacers will be without the swingman this season, at least for now.  

Is that a bad thing?  I dunno.  Mayo was unhappy in Memphis with his playing time and had some off court issues.  But the awesome playoff run the Grizzlies had may have rejuvenated him a little.  Now Mayo certainly would have been a super upgrade on Brandon Rush, but he would have taken away valuable on-court development time from Paul George, and we need George to be the best player he can be.  Plus the Pacers finally got rid of all their questionable character guys (well, the old ones at least -- Stephenson and Rush are still on the roster) -- so if Mayo does not getting as much as he expected, would he start causing problems in the locker room?

Perhaps I am just trying to make myself feel better, because the Pacers certainly could have used a player with Mayo's scoring prowress and ability to create his own shot. 

Speaking of which, the other guy the Pacers wanted was Jamal Crawford, but he turned down the Pacers' almost insulting $5 million x 2 years deal.  No biggie.  If Crawford was willing to sign for that price, then great, but the Pacers don't really need him right now.  With the core additions of George Hill and David West, plus the subtractions of TJ Ford, Mike Dunleavy and James Posey, the Pacers have made decent strides this offseason already.

BUT, in some sad news, Josh McRoberts has decided to sign with the LA Lakers.  I don't know why, but the Pacers didn't think McBob was worth bringing back.  McBob had a decent year and for a big man has a unique skill set (can jump and pass), but he's clearly a role player at best.  I think if the price was right the Pacers would have brought him back, but clearly McBob was going to demand more money than he was really worth.

McBob was obviously disappointed because he stated before that he would like to return to Indiana, but was glad that he was going to a team that "wanted" him.  Words of hurt, perhaps?

All the best to McBob.  We'll miss your highlights every night.  no comments

For those who don't fully understand the 'amnesty clause' in the new NBA collective bargaining agreement (CBA), it essentially allows each team in the NBA to shred ONE existing player from their roster for salary cap purposes.  This player must already be on an NBA contract from the date the CBA is brought into effect and the clause can be utilized at any time during the CBA is in effect, but only once.

Once the player is waived from a team's roster, any other team in the NBA under the salary cap can make a blind bid for the services of that player (ie, a bid where you don't know how much other teams are bidding).  The team with the highest bid will get that player and pay them how much they bid, with the player's old team (ie, the team that cut him) paying the remainder of the contract.  If a player is not claimed via the bidding process he will become a free agent and the team that waived him will have to pay for the entirety of what's left on the contract.

In short, the amnesty clause:

• allows teams to get rid of one big bad contract clogging up their cap space;
• allows teams under the cap (usually small market teams or financially responsible teams) to bid for a player (who was at least once worth a lot) for a fraction of what he was being paid; and
• entitles the waived player to the salary they were originally contracted to.

Win win for everybody.  Well, almost.  The one catch is that the team claiming the waived player cannot trade him for the rest of the season.

Now we've gotten that out of the way, the Indiana Pacers will use their amnesty on forward James Posey.  The hard-nosed, once brilliant, two-time NBA Champion, not-yet-35-years-old veteran who has turned into little more than a catch and pop three-point shooter (who isn't all that accurate) and charge-taker.

By all accounts, Posey is a leader and a good presence in the locker room, but on the floor he is so single-faceted that he often becomes a liability for the Pacers.  In any case, he did not play at all after new coach Frank Vogel took over the reigns and was asked not to join training camp.  It was clear Posey's time in Indiana was up, and shredding his $7.6 million salary from the cap will open up more opportunities for the Pacers in the market, especially with guys like OJ Mayo, Carl Landry and Andrei Kirilenko still potentially up for grabs.

Some might say using the amnesty on Posey is a waste.  After all, he was only on contract for one more year, $7.6 million is not all that much, so why not let him continue to be a 'good influence' on the end of the bench?  On the other hand, given that the Pacers don't actually have any bad contracts to shed (if you discount Dahntay Jones and Brandon Rush, who don't cost as much as Posey combined), they are being aggressive this offseason pursuing good players and that Posey has almost zero trade value, getting rid of him via the anmesty provision is actually doing Posey a huge favor.  Now, instead of doing nothing on the Pacers bench, he can either get claimed by a team that actually wants him and will use him, or he can go to a contender as a free agent -- without losing out on his salary.

All the best to Posey.  It didn't work out in Indiana but hopefully he can find a place where he can either be utilized or have a chance to win another title.  no comments

Whether it is a good deal remains to be seen, but for now Pacers nation is rejoicing the reported signing of marquee free agent and new starting power forward David West from the New Orleans Hornets, after a reported deal with the Celtics fell through.  The deal is said to be $20 million over 2 years, which might seem like a gamble considering West's recent ACL surgery, but all things considered, is a relatively low risk signing in the scheme of things.

The 6'9" West averaged 18.9 and 7.6 rebounds per game last season and will provide a much needed offensive boost to the Pacers, who often struggled to find offense down the stretch, especially when Danny Granger wasn't on his game.  Now they not only have a second consistent scorer and genuine post up presence (sorry Roy and Tyler), they also have a pick-and-roll expert who has once worked with Darren Collison on the Hornets.  Hopefully this will also amp up Collison's game in the upcoming season as he learns to be more of a passing point guard.  It can also potentially improve Hansbrough's game as he now shifts to the back-up PF position where most believe he will thrive as an energy guy off the bench.  Having a low post scorer can also potentially improve Hibbert's game (Hibbert is an underrated passer in the post) and get him to concentrate more on the boards.  And finally, it will be great for Granger not having the pressure of carrying the offensive load night in night out.

The Pacers aren't quite done dealing yet, as reports indicate that they are still after OJ Mayo, a wildcard SG from the Memphis Grizzlies.  You might remember that the Pacers almost sent Josh McRoberts over for Mayo at the end of last season but the deal collapsed at the last minute.  Mayo is a guy who can flat out score and more importantly can create his own shot, something few Pacers can do at the moment.  The Pacers apparently were after either Mayo or Jamal Crawford from the Hawks, but since Crawford is close to signing with the Knicks, they have turned their attentions to Mayo.

Other reports also indicate that the Pacers have not given up on Carl Landry and Andrei Kirilenko yet either.

Here is a table on what the Pacers have been doing this offseason and how the roster might look like next season:

Position	Signed/Re-signed	Additions	Subtractions	Unsigned (likely to leave)	Hot Seat?	Potential Signing?
PG	Darren Collison
PG/SG	AJ Price	George Hill			Lance Stephenson
SG/SF	Paul George		Mike Dunleavy Jr		Dahntay Jones Brandon Rush	OJ Mayo
SF/PF	Danny Granger				James Posey	Andrei Kirilenko
PF	Tyler Hansbrough	David West Jeff Pendergraph		Josh McRoberts Solomon Jones		Carl Landry
PF/C	Jeff Foster
C	Roy Hibbert

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