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O’Brien likes changes on court and off
I think Larry Bird and David Morway did a great job in changing our basketball team around through the trades with Toronto and Portland. We needed change and not only did they get us some veteran players at different positions, they freed us up financially to be able to sign guys we need to sign and also possibly make some moves in the future. I was very impressed in observing how they went about this.
Here are my initial thoughts on each of our new players.
T.J. FORD – He's key. John Hollinger of ESPN.com had him rated among the top six point guards in the league last year when he was healthy. Any time you have a guy at the point guard position with his experience and his ability to create tempo it will make our fast-break style that much more effective. He's a veteran, but still young, and he's a heck of an addition to our basketball team.
JARRETT JACK – A tough-minded guy who plays both ends of the court. Jarrett is a tough defensive player, a solid outside shooter, has experience at both the one and the two spots. We'll certainly play him at the backup point and he might see some time at the backup wing spots. He's another young veteran. We've got a good combination of guys that have played a lot of minutes in this league but have a whole lot of minutes in front of them. The combination of the two of those guys has taken our point guard spot up not only a notch, but maybe two notches.
RASHO NESTEROVIC – He's a guy I've had a lot of respect for over the years. He's not dominant in any particular phase of the game but is a solid veteran that can put some points on the board, block some shots and has the size to be an effective starter. He certainly will compete for a starting job and it's good to have a veteran like that at the center position that somebody like Roy Hibbert can learn from.
MACEO BASTON – We were sorry to lose him two years go. The people I talked to around the Pacers organization at that time had a lot of respect for what Maceo brought to the court and to the locker room. He really solidifies our depth up front, which is really key. He's very athletic and kind of a skilled veteran.
JOSH McROBERTS – I really haven't had a chance to see him play much since college. He didn't get a lot of playing time in Portland but we're anxious to get him out on the court in a Pacers uniform and see what he brings to the team.
BRANDON RUSH – Brandon was a guy that we spent considerable amount of time studying and all along I think Larry Bird had him in his crosshairs as a guy he wanted to take at 11. When we had the opportunity with Portland, we did our due diligence and really felt we could get him at 13. What he brings could be a considerable impact at both ends of the court. He's a very, very good shooter, has a pro body, is very quick and athletic, and finds ways to score. We think he can be a really solid defensive player. Any time you're looking for somebody to take in the lottery, it's ideal to get somebody that can impact both ends of the court. We felt he could do so and had the maturity in his game to be a serious contributor next year.
ROY HIBBERT – I think Roy is going to be one of those young men that will be better in the pros than he was in college. I like his ability to use both hands near the basket. He has very fundamental footwork down in the low post, can face up and make a 16-17-foot shot. He's used to facing up and being a passer which is so important in our passing game. There have been some questions about whether he can play in our type of style but I say emphatically yes. There's no question in my mind. He's not the fastest guy but he's a persistent runner, he'll run hard all the time. Whatever his true speed is, he'll get down there on a regular basis. He's got length and he's a tough kid. I like size and toughness and that's what he brings us, and the ability to block some shots. Guys that have come through that Georgetown program, playing for the Thompsons, don't back down from anybody.
Every coach is looking for a group of guys that will allow teams to develop a synergy and I think this I that type of group. They're all people of high character and very good work ethic. I think our locker room will be great and as a result we might be able to develop that kind of synergy, which could be very important for our team.
Letter from Larry Bird
Today we officially completed trades that have been rumored since the NBA Draft, June 26. In one trade, T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston and Roy Hibbert (the 17th pick overall in the draft) come from Toronto in exchange for Jermaine O’Neal and our second-round pick from the 2008 draft. The second trade gives us Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts and Brandon Rush (the 13th overall pick in the draft) from Portland in exchange for Ike Diogu and Jerryd Bayless (the 11th pick in the draft).
I firmly believe these trades have put the Indiana Pacers in a better position than where we were at going into the draft. I’m excited about all of these players and what they potentially can bring to the franchise in terms of talent and character. These are the first of many steps it will take to get us back to the level I expect and our fans expect.
I can’t promise there will be other changes before the season, but I will promise we are going to keep working to try to make changes that will make our team better. Again, these trades are the beginning of a process but my personal level of anticipation is such that training camp is three months away, yet I wish it started tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Larry Bird
:lol2:
), riuscisse a migliorare anche lì saremmo a posto, ma come si fa?
