'09-10 Indiana Pacers & the Raiders of the Lost Hope

Indiana Pacers

The Starting Five



Rasho Nesterovic C 7-0 255 1976 Slovenia 10 drafted 17th (MIN) $8.40M/1
Udonis Haslem PF 6-8 235 1980 Florida 5 undrafted $6.85/2
Danny Granger SF 6-8 228 1983 New Mexico 3 drafted 17th (IND) $2.33M/2
Mike Dunleavy, Jr. GF 6-9 230 1980 Duke 6 drafted 3rd (GS) $9.00M/3
T.J. Ford PG 6-0 165 1983 Texas 5 drafted 8th (MIL) $8.00M/3

The Bench



Brandon Rush GF 6-6 210 1980 Kansas R drafted 13th (POR) $1.80M/5
Nick Collison FC 6-9 255 1980 5 Kansas drafted 12th (SEA) $6.25M/3
Marquis Daniels GF 6-6 200 1981 Auburn 5 undrafted $6.86M/2
Bobby Jackson G 6-1 185 1973 11 Minnesota drafted 23rd (SEA) $6.09M/1
Roy Hibbert C 7-2 278 1986 Georgetown R drafted 17th (TOR) $1.47M/5
Spencer Hawes FC 7-0 230 1988 1 Washington drafted 10th (SAC) $2.18M/4
Travis Diener PG 6-1 175 1982 Marquette 3 drafted 38th (ORL) $1.62M/2

The Injured Reserve




Mouhamed Sene C 6-11 230 1986 2 Senegal drafted 10th (SEA) $2.25M/3
Kenny Thomas PF 6-7 245 1977 9 New Mexico drafted 22nd (HOU) $7.94M/2


Former Pacers (2008 onwards)

Jamaal Tinsley PG 6-3 185 1978 Iowa State 7 drafted 27th (MEM)
Josh McRoberts FC 6-10 240 1987 Duke 1 drafted 37th (POR)
Jeff Foster FC 6-11 250 1977 Texas State 9 drafted 21st (GS)
Yakhouba Diawara GF 6-7 225 1982 Pepperdine 2 undrafted
Troy Murphy PF 6-11 245 1980 Notre Dame 7 drafted 14th (GS)
Jarrett Jack G 6-3 197 1983 Georgia Tech 3 drafted 22nd (DEN)
Stephen Graham FG 6-6 215 1982 Oklahoma State 3 undrafted

Last edited by joeygraham on Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:34 am, edited 9 times in total.

Transactions

October
none


Novemeber
November 3rd - Toronto Raptors sign GF Marcus Williams for $687K/1 year
November 6th - Memphis Grizzlies sign GF Josh Childress for $7.92M/5 years
November 7th - Chicago Bulls sign FC Michael Doleac for $1.22M/1 year
November 19th - Chicago Bulls trade GF Thabo Sefolosha to the Los Angeles Clippers for FC Brian Skinner
November 24th - Detroit Pistons trade GF James Jones to the Miami Heat for FC Amir Johnson
November 27th - Indiana Pacers trade PG Jamaal Tinsley and FC Josh McRoberts to the Miami Heat for FC Udonis Haslem and GF Yakhouba Diawara
Novemeber 29th - Los Angeles Lakers trade FC Pau Gasol to the Orlando Magic for C Dwight Howard


December
December 1st - Minnesota Timberwolves trade FC Calvin Booth to the New York Knicks for PG Mardy Collins
December 2nd - Los Angeles Lakers trade G Sasha Vujacic to the Oklahoma City Thunder for FC Chris Wilcox
December 19th - Denver Nuggets trade G Anthony Carter to the Washington Wizards FC JaVale McGee
Decemeber 23rd - Cleveland Cavaliers trade GF LeBron James to the Utah Jazz for FC Carlos Boozer
December 27th - Milwaukee Bucks trade FC Dan Gadzuric to the Orlando Magic for FC Tony Battie
December 27th - Cleveland Cavaliers trade C Lorenzen Wright to the Phoenix Suns for GF Alando Tucker


January
January 11th - Cleveland Cavaliers trade FC Ben Wallce to the Denver Nuggets for SF Carmelo Anthony
January 15th - Indiana Pacers trade FC Jeff Foster and GF Yakhouba Diawara to the Oklahoma City Thunder for FC Nick Collison and C Mouhamed Sene
January 16th - Indiana Pacers trade FC Troy Murphy, G Jarrett Jack and GF Stephen Graham for G Bobby Jackson, PF Kenny Thomas and FC Spencer Hawes
January 23rd - Chicago Bulls trade FC Brian Skinner to the Sacramento Kings for G Francisco Garcia


February



March



April

Last edited by joeygraham on Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:44 pm, edited 8 times in total.

Season Standings and Awards

The standings will be updated occasionally. Refer to the title for the Pacers' up-to-date record.

Standings

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
New Jersey Nets 24-14
Boston Celtics 22-15
Philadelphia 76ers 20-16
Toronto Raptors 17-18
New York Knicks 11-26

Central Division
Detroit Pistons 22-13
Milwaukee Bucks 18-17
Indiana Pacers 17-18
Cleveland Cavaliers 17-20
Chicago Bulls 14-23

Southeast Division
Washington Wizards 22-15
Atlanta Hawks 22-16
Miami Heat 18-17
Orlando Magic 15-20
Charlotte Bobcats 15-21

Western Conference

Northwest Division
Utah Jazz 22-14
Denver Nuggets 20-15
Oklahoma City Thunder 14-22
Portland Trailblazers 11-19
Minnesota Timberwolves 11-23

Pacific Division
Sacramento Kings 18-16
Los Angeles Lakers 17-17
Phoenix Suns 17-18
Golden State Warriors 16-21
Los Angeles Clippers 16-22

Southwest Division
Houston Rockets 26-11
New Orleans Hornets 24-13
Dallas Mavericks 23-14
San Antonio Spurs 19-14
Memphis Grizzlies 9-29

Player Awards

November

East Player of the Month -
West Player of the Month -
East Rookie of the Month -
West Rookie of the Month -

December

East Player of the Month -
West Player of the Month -
East Rookie of the Month -
West Rookie of the Month -

January

East Player of the Month -
West Player of the Month -
East Rookie of the Month -
West Rookie of the Month -

February

East Player of the Month -
West Player of the Month -
East Rookie of the Month -
West Rookie of the Month -

March

East Player of the Month -
West Player of the Month -
East Rookie of the Month -
West Rookie of the Month -

Last edited by joeygraham on Sat Nov 15, 2008 5:25 am, edited 3 times in total.

Nice title. Good luck with your Dynasty, I see that like the real Pacers you're not planning on playing Tinsley. Any trade scenarios brewing?

Taking Great Strides

October 28 - A day before the Indiana Pacers tip off for the first time in the 2008-09 season and still so many question marks. While Shawne Williams was dealt for Eddie Jones, who was subsequently bought out, Jamaal Tinsley remains on the roster. "We are firm in our resolve to move Jamaal. While he is an extraordinary talent so long as he remains with the organization he will not see floor time," said the recently signed assistant head coach Marcos da Costa.

The team has certainly moved past the brawl but where are they heading? Danny Granger will be their leader with Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy serving as the steady veteran presences. Newly acquired T.J. Ford will anchor the backcourt in an attempt to speed up the tempo. But the Indiana Pacers of old have left some pretty big footprints that these four alone cannot fill. Who else do the Pacers have to count on? The rookies.

Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush look to be the first options off the bench and have looked good thus far. With Rasho Nesterovic in the final year of his contract, Hibbert looks like the future at the centre position, or at least will be groomed for such role. Rush is undoubtedly a talented shooter but he will be battling Marquis Daniels, who possesses a different skill set, for minutes behind Dunleavy and Granger. There were rumours about Jarrett Jack getting the starting nod over Ford, but he will undoubtedly be the second option at the point ahead of incumbent, for lack of alternatives last year, Travis Diener. Stephen Graham and Jeff Foster round out the cast of players; both stand to see limited minutes at the end of the bench.

So who are these Pacers? With their first game against the New Jersey Nets around the corner, best to wait and see.

I also dig the “...Raiders of the Lost Hope”!

Hopefully the content lives up to the great title.. Anyways Good Luck!

Recap October 29 - November 7

Snapshot
Pacers go 0-4
Rookies show flashes
Tinsley suits up - but not in a uniform

New Jersey Nets 100 | Indiana Pacers 86
Player of the Game: Vince Carter

October 29 - Down big at half, the Pacers could not recover from Vince Carter's 32-point onslaught. Danny Granger led the way with 22 points, Troy Murphy recorded a double-double and newcomer T.J. Ford racked up 17 points in the loss. Rookie Brook Lopez quieted even the loudest of the non-believers with 10 points, 14 boards, 4 assists and 2 blocks and far outshone the Pacers' rookies who combined for 11 points.

Toronto Raptors104 | Indiana Pacers 91
Player of the Game: Jermaine O'Neal

November 1 - In their first clash since the trade, Jermaine O"Neal and T.J. Ford both showed how they could be key cogs in their teams' success; it just seems as though Toronto's day will come sooner. O'Neal and Chris Bosh locked down the Pacers frontcourt while both recorded 14 points, along with Anthony Parker, Jason Kopono and Jose Calderon. The Spanish guard also had 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and an uncharacteristic 6 turnovers. The Italian question mark, Andrea Bargniani, came off the bench for 12 points and 7 rebounds. Mike Dunleavy and Danny Granger struggled from behind the arc, combining for 4-of-13 shooting, and Ford had 11 points and 8 assists. Brandon Rush reached double figures on 5-of-9 shooting, leading the bench to 28 points. Rasho Nesterovic, another former Raptor, had 9 points and 10 rebounds.

Indiana Pacers 87 | Los Angeles Lakers 97
Player of the Game: Lamar Odom

November 4 - Even with Kobe Bryant leaving the game momentarily in the second quarter, hobbled by an ankle injury, the Lakers shut down and dominated the Pacers. Lamar Odom had 25 points and Derek Fisher followed suit with 21 in the victory. Bryant, in only 28 minutes of play, gathered 5 assists and 15 points. Mike Dunleavy took centre stage at the Staples Centre, pouring in 29 points, offsetting an offensive off-night by Danny Granger, who managed 14 points in an otherwise stuffed statline. Following Brandon Rush's lead, Roy Hibbert stepped up and recorded 8 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. While the hometeam only shot 41% from the field, the 19 turnovers by the Pacers allowed them to outshoot their opponents by 11 shots and gave them 10 more free throw attempts.

Indiana Pacers 103 | Phoenix Suns 106
Player of the Game: Amare Stoudemire

November 7 - The Pacers continued their losing streak, making them winless in four games. Again having trouble containing point guards and power forwards, Amare Stoudemire went off for 26 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 5 blocks while Steve Nash had 27 points, 7 boards, 2 steals and 10 assists. Shaquille O'Neal and Leandro Barbosa both reached double digits in scoring, while the Diesel also collected 13 rebounds. For the Pacers, Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy each recorded 30 plus points and combined for 5-of-5 three-point shooting. T.J. Ford picked up a double-double with his 10 points coming on 4-of-15 shooting. The bench proved rather ineffective, with Jarrett Jack leading the way racking up 6 points and 2 assists. Coming into the fourth quarter, the Pacers found themselves, rather surprisingly, in a position to win after outscoring the Suns 32-16 in the previous quarter; however, Steve Nash's hand heated up and he found himself able to offensively dominate Ford on his way to easy baskets.

Transactions

November 3rd - Toronto Raptors sign GF Marcus Williams for $687K/1 year
November 6th - Memphis Grizzlies sign GF Josh Childress for $7.92M/5 years
November 7th - Chicago Bulls sign FC Michael Doleac for $1.22M/1 year


Odds And Ends

Top Performer: Danny Granger
Top Performance: Danny Granger, Nov. 7 vs. Phoenix Suns
Top Bench Performer: Brandon Rush
Top Bench Performance: Roy Hibbert, Nov. 4 vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Jamaal Tinsley has yet to be moved, though deals are being discussed. Possible destinations include Miami, Los Angeles (for the Lakers) and the front runner, Orlando...There seems to be no defense coming from the power forward position and little offence coming from the frountcourt in general...the rookies are playing well in their minutes in reserve though Roy Hibbert has more of an opportunity to become a starter. He is just not outplaying Rasho Nesterovic...field goal percentages need to be higher and free throw numbers need to jump drastically (only once has it been above 75%)

Walk a Mile Challenge

Here's your opportunity to walk a mile in the shoes of the personnel of the Indiana Pacers' organization. Here's this week's food for thought: where and for whom should Jamaal Tinsley be traded? Let's see some potential deals and friendly criticisms of each other's suggestions.

Last edited by joeygraham on Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:47 am, edited 2 times in total.

I should warn that this is going to be a picture-free dynasty. Also, I am a little ahead in playing games versus recapping games so these ones are going to be a lot shorter as I recall less.

Hope you enjoy following!

You're not doing too well... and I think you should trade Tinsley for a big man.

oops, thats alrdy a losing streak for u.. i think u need a consistent sidekick for granger.. and plsss dont get kleiza

despite being 0-4 and pic free, this a great start man your team in general has a lot of potential; i like the fact that there's no 'superstar' but that could be your downfall as well; my observations/suggestions (and i stress these are only to be taken as just that - 'suggestions'):

nesterovic/foster - $14M+ in cap space free next season - that's HUGE; can you give a list of next season's potential free agents?

Tinsley - definitely move him; nor is Daniels high on my list, especially at his price; if you can package both for an aging bloated contract in its final year (ie., Collins (NJN) or Szczerbiak come to mind) it might be worth the sacrifice this season for massive free agent signing freedom next year;

nice youth coming off teh bench with Rush, Hibbert, Jack, McRoberts; i'd give them at least a season before moving any of them or any of your starters just to see how the team develops

if you do seek to add a 'money' player sooner than later, go second tier (mid to upper 80's at best ovrall) and steer clear of robbing a team's obvious franchise (ie., CP3, Durant, Dwight etc); do target teams outside your division/conference and teams who are struggling for the most fair/sensible trade; anyway - good luck!

Recap November 8 - November 16

Snapshot
Wins!
Murphy's hot hand
Minor Dunleavy injury
Tinsley's still sitting pat

Indiana Pacers 95 | New Orleans Hornets 84
Player of the Game: Mike Dunleavy

November 9 - The Pacers picked up their first win on the backs of Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleacy's shooting and T.J. Ford and Rasho Nesterovic's double-doubles. Danny Granger's quiet game was offset by the sudden emergence of Murphy who recorded 20 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. It was an unlikely win against a powerful Hornets' squad who had three players pick up double-doubles: Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler and David West. Shooting was their downfall as their collective field goal percentage was 38%, compared to the Pacers' 46%.

Indiana Pacers 108 | Atlanta Hawks 96
Player of the Game: Danny Granger

November 11 - With their first win under their belts, the Indiana Pacers continued their "streak" on a quick turnaround by franchise cornerstone Danny Granger. Following a 12-point performance, Granger recorded 26 points on 11-of-20 shooting and notched a pair of assists and rebounds. Aiding him in the victory were the two point guards, T.J. Ford and Jarrett Jack, who combined for 25 points and 11 assists while each broke the double-digit scoring threshold. The rookies Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush also performed well off the bench recording 8 and 6 points, respectively. Hibbert also notched a team-high 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Atlanta's second-half runs were fueled by Maurice Evans and Mike Bibby, both of who ended with 22 points; Evans was starting in place of the injured Marvin Williams. Joe Johnson also netted 20 points and 4 assists while Josh Smith was kept off the boards but ruled the defensive end, tallying 3 blocks and 3 steals.

Indiana Pacers 97 | Miami Heat 79
Player of the Game: Troy Murphy

November 13 - The Pacers won their third game in a row, and of the season, in the first of two consecutive games in Miami. Troy Murphy had a team-high 16 points and 10 rebounds in a dominant three quarters of basketball; the fourth quarter saw Miami outscore the Pacers' reserves 28-17. Jarrett Jack lead an impressive second unit performance with 10 points, followed closely by Brandon Rush's 9 points and 5 rebounds. For the home team, Dwayne Wade proved to be his overpowering self, racking up 30 points and 4 assists while rookie Michael Beasley had 13 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. All-star Shawn Marion was shut down early, both by Danny Granger's defensive efforts and a first-half sprain.

Indiana Pacers 108 | Miami Heat 101
Player of the Game: T.J. Ford

November 14 - Following an easy victory the day before, the Pacers rallied in the final quarter to eek out a victory and reach .500, even after losing Mike Dunleavy for some of the third quarter. Six Pacers reached double-figure scoring, led by Brandon Rush's 19 points. It was another strong performance by the Pacers' point guards: T.J. Ford had 14 points, 13 assists and 3 steals while Jarrett Jack tallied 10 points and 7 assists. Rookie Roy Hibbert also contributed effectively, notching 11 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. While Dwayne Wade received a little more help this game, he still was the major offensive contributor with 23 points. Aiding him were starting rookies Mario Chalmers with 17 points and Michael Beasley with 13 points. Shawn Marion was again contained, recording 11 points in just 19 minutes before fouling out.

Indiana Pacers 100 | Orlando Magic 117
Player of the Game: Rashard Lewis

November 16 - The Magic stopped the Pacers in their tracks with a dominant triple-double performance by Rashard Lewis. Lewis finished with a team-high 24 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Dwight Howard added 23 points and 13 rebounds, while Mikael Pietrus and Hedo Turkoglu combined for 28 points, 4 steals and 4 blocks. For the visiting Pacers, Mike Dunleavy shouldered the scoring load with 28 pints, followed closely by T.J. Ford with 21 and Danny Granger with 20. Dunleavy, playing on a bum knee, shot 10-of-19 from the field and grabbed 7 boards in a gueling 36 minutes. Orlando controlled the tempo of the game from the outset and demonstrated why they are contenders for the title this year.

Transactions

none


Odds And Ends

Top Performer: T.J. Ford
Top Performance: Mike Dunleavy, Nov. 16 vs. Orlando Magic
Top Bench Performer: Brandon Rush
Top Bench Performance: Brandon Rush, Nov. 14 vs. Miami Heat

Jamaal Tinsley is still on the Indiana roster and deals are still being discussed. A trade that would have sent Tinsley and reserve GF Stephen Graham to Orlando for PG Anthony Johnson and, the key piece of the trade, FC Brian Cook did not meet salary cap requirements and was abandoned. Teams still in the Tinsley "sweepstakes" are Dallas, Miami, Denver and Los Angeles (for the Lakers). Dallas has no real back-up to Jason Kidd while Miami has a few point guards but no true standout...Rashard Lewis' triple double highlights the defensive shortcomings of Troy Murphy. Josh McRoberts is really not using his minutes to impress Pacers' personnel...Brandon Rush had two games with 14 points or more. With the Dunleavy injury, expect him to see more floor time...4 wins! One big difference: the emergence of Troy Murphy on the offensive end and also defensively with steals, though he still is a liability against physically stronger or faster opponents.

Walk a Mile Challenge

Here's your opportunity to walk a mile in the shoes of the personnel of the Indiana Pacers' organization. Here's this week's food for thought: where and for whom should Jamaal Tinsley be traded? Let's see some potential deals and friendly criticisms of each other's suggestions. Since he still has not been moved this is still a pressing issue. He is taking up a roster spot.

Last edited by joeygraham on Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:08 pm, edited 4 times in total.

joeygraham, yo. change the tag.. from url to img

Nice work winning 4 games in a row but unfortunately Orlando killed you.

I'd like to see some pics (or a link in recap to pics), but it doesn't really matter too much, since the recaps look very clean and concise.

Keep up the nice work.

Nice work bouncing back from the 0-4 hole, shame about the Orlando game.

Recap November 17 - November 26

Snapshot
Four wins
Granger injury - sidelined for 3 weeks
Tinsley's moving out

Chicago Bulls 81 | Indiana Pacers 101
Player of the Game: T.J. Ford

November 17 - Troy Murphy had 15 points and 14 rebounds in a decisive victory over the Chicago Bulls. With Mike Dunleavy already playing with an injury, it fell to Brandon Rush and and Marquis Daniels to pick up the slack when Danny Granger went down with an injury in the third quarter: they responded with a combined 18 points. Granger was diagnosed with a foot injury which will shelve him for three weeks. The losing Bulls struggled from the field shooting just 37%. Ben Gordon led them in scoring with 17 points, followed closely by Luol Deng's 16. Joakim Noah recorded a double-double, hauling in 16 rebounds along with his 10 points. Rookie Derrick Rose had 10 points and 2 assists off the bench.

Detroit Pistons 87 | Indiana Pacers 94
Player of the Game: Troy Murphy

November 19 - With Danny Granger on the injured reserve list, Stephen Graham got the start in an unprobable win for the Pacers. While he responded with 7 points the victory was won on the back of Troy Murphy's 21 points and 9 rebounds. Indiana soared past Detroit in the final frame on fast breaks culminating in Marquis Daniels and Brandon Rush lay-ups. Both players finished with 9 points, one more than Roy Hibbert and the injured Mike Dunleavy. Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups, with 21 and 20 points, respectively, kept the Pistons in contention while the rest of the squad failed to create opportunities. Walter Hermann played solidly off the bench amassing 10 points and 3 steals in 33 minutes, helping to compensate for Richard Hamilton's paltry 8 points.

Indiana Pacers 109 | New York Knicks 98
Player of the Game: T.J. Ford

November 21 - The Pacers won yet again despite missing franchise player Danny Granger and having his sidekick Mike Dunleavy playing through injury. T.J. Ford and Marquis Daniels each scored 18 points en route to the easy victory while Troy Murphy had 13 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. With the game in hand, the bench went to work, combining for 38 points. Josh McRoberts finally showed his worth with 7 points and 2 of each of the other positive noteworthy categories. Stephon Marbury was cold until the final quarter where he poured in 4 treys to finish with a game-high 25 points. Italian rookie Dannilo Gallinari had 16 points and 5 rebounds in the contest. In spite of a solid effort offensively (48% from the field), the Knicks allowed the Pacers to get to the line a whopping 44 times and had 17 turnovers to the visitors' 10.

Indiana Pacers 96 | Boston Celtics 88
Player of the Game: Troy Murphy

November 24 - Of the "Big Three", only Paul Pierce cracked the 20-point marker and Rajon Rondo tried to supplement the others' offensive shortcomings but all for naught in a 96-88 loss. Kevin Garnett posted 12 point sand 9 rebounds while Ray Allen managed just 6 points and 5 assists. Rondo had 21 points and 3 assists. For the victors, Troy Murphy carried the team, ammassing 27 points, 11 rebounds and playing well on the defensive end with 3 steals and 2 blocks. The other key contributor for the game was certainly a surprise: Rasho Nesterovic, who collected 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. THe bench also supplied an excellent performance with Brandon Rush and Jarrett Jack combining for 22 points, 7 assists and 2 blocks.

Transactions

November 19th - Chicago Bulls trade GF Thabo Sefolosha to the Los Angeles Clippers for FC Brian Skinner
November 24th - Detroit Pistons trade GF James Jones to the Miami Heat for FC Amir Johnson

Odds And Ends

Top Performer: Troy Murphy
Top Performance: Troy Murphy, Nov. 24 vs. Boston Celtics
Top Bench Performer: Brandon Rush
Top Bench Performance: Jarrett Jack, Nov. 24 vs. Boston Celtics

A trade involving Jamaal Tinsley has been finalized and is pending league approval...With Danny Granger sidelined, the three-man rotation of Mike Dunleavy, Marquis Daniels and Brandon Rush has been successful, but certainly not producing at which the rotation produces with Granger healthy...Troy Murphy has averaged 20.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 1.7 blocks in the three games since Granger has been on the injured reserve...4 wins, even without Danny Granger

Walk a Mile Challenge

Here's your opportunity to walk a mile in the shoes of the personnel of the Indiana Pacers' organization. Here's this week's food for thought: Where do you think Jamaal Tinsley's heading? Rumour has it someone is accompanying him out of town: who could it be?

November 19th - Chicago Bulls trade GF Thabo Sefolosha to the Los Angeles Clippers for FC Brian Skinner

Ugh, what was Virtual John Paxson thinking?

Congrats on the wins.

Taking Great Strides

November 27 - A month into the 2008-2009 season and the Pacers are positively shocking the league with an 8-5 record in spite of injuries to two stars, Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy. Adding to the buzz in Indiana is the recent announcement of the departure of Jamaal Tinsley. He alongside off-season acquisition FC Josh McRoberts have been moved to Miami in exchange for FC Udonis Haslem and GF Yakhouba Diawara. "We may have set the bar too high for Josh," laments coach Jim O'Brien, "but we need some ruggedness in the frontcourt and Udonis provides that. He's a classy, gritty player who I welcome the opportunity to coach." Haslem had become an expendable piece in the Heat franchise with the drafting of Michael Beasley and recent acquisition of Amir Johnson from Detroit. Attempts to move Haslem to centre were met with mixed results which resulted on his role off the bench. Diawara was buried deep on the end of the Heat bench and provides a defensive edge at the wing positions. With Granger currently sidelined with an injury, his presence is certainly welcomed. The Heat's point guard situation still remains unclear with rookie Chalmers, the incumbent starter, likely to hold on to his starting role and Marcus Banks likely to become the third option at the point. Josh McRoberts should join the regular rotation spelling Beasley. "We wish Jamaal and Josh the best of success and thank them for their time in Indiana," said GM Larry Bird. As for fans, "Sianara!" was all they had to Tinsley as the anticipatory banners finally unfurled.

Haslem's a nice pickup, good work.

Sorry for the absence. I think I may need to blow by the next month of play as it has been completed. It's been a wacky month in the league and some surprising standings. Stay tuned!

Thanks Andrew for your continual posts.

Recap November 27 - January 15

Snapshot
9-13 record, still in the hunt
Granger goes down again
Murphy plays the hero or the bust
Nesterovic holding his own in the middle

November 27 - Indiana Pacers 86 | Toronto Raptors 99
Player of the Game: Jermaine O'Neal
Pacer of the Game: Mike Dunleavy

November 29 - Denver Nuggets 97 | Indiana Pacers 96
Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony
Pacer of the Game: Mike Dunleavy

December 1 - Golden State Warriors 100 | Indiana Pacers 96
Player of the Game: Corey Maggette
Pacer of the Game: Troy Murphy

December 3 - Phoenix Suns 95 | Indiana Pacers 103
Player of the Game: Mike Dunleavy

December 6 - Indiana Pacers 121 | Chicago Bulls 91
Player of the Game: Mike Dunleavy

December 8 - Indiana Pacers 97 | Detroit Pistons 100
Player of the Game: Richard Hamilton
Pacer of the Game: Troy Murphy

December 10 - indiana Pacers 89 | New Jersey Nets 92
Player of the Game: Jianlian Yi
Pacer of the Game: Troy Murphy

December 13 - Indiana Pacers 89 | New Jersey Nets 97
Player of the Game: Vince Carter
Pacer of the Game: Troy Murphy

December 15 - Indiana Pacers 86 | Philadelphia 76ers 96
Player of the Game: Andre Iguodala
Pacer of the Game: T.J. Ford

December 18 - Los Angeles Lakers 84 | Indiana Pacers 101
Player of the Game: Troy Murphy

December 20 - New Orleans Hornets 100 | Indiana Pacers 96
Player of the Game: Chris Paul
Pacer of the Game: Danny Granger

December 22 - Portland Trailblazers 91 | indiana Pacers 86
Player of the Game: Brandon Roy
Pacer of the Game: Danny Granger

December 26 - San Antonio Spurs 94 | Indiana Pacers 87
Player of the Game: Tim Duncan
Pacer of the Game: Mike Dunleavy

December 27 - Charlotte Bobcats 99 | Indiana Pacers 103
Player of the Game: Danny Granger

December 29 - Washington Wizards 78 | Indiana Pacers 105
Player of the Game: T.J. Ford

January 2 - Washington Wizards 94 | Indiana Pacers 82
[size=85]Player of the Game: Caron Butler
Pacer of the Game: Danny Granger

January 5 - Miwaukee Bucks 94 | Indiana Pacers 86
Player of the Game: Michael Redd
Pacer of the Game: Rasho Nesterovic

January 7 - Indiana Pacers 112 | Memphis Grizzlies 84
Player of the Game: Danny Granger

January 9 - Indiana Pacers 103 | Dallas Mavericks 108
Player of the Game: Josh Howard
Pacer of the Game: Danny Granger

January 11 - Indiana Pacers 91 | San Antonio Spurs 90
Player of the Game: Danny Granger

January 12 - Indiana Pacers 100 | Los Angeles Clippers 71
Player of the Game: T.J. Ford

January 14 - Indiana Pacers 108 | Portland Trailblazers 96
Player of the Game: T.J. Ford

C Rasho Nesterovic
Stats: 8.7 PPG 8.8 RPG 2.4 APG 0.57 SPG 0.94 BPG 30.9 MPG .518 FG% .000 3P% .615 FT%
Grade: B+

Rasho has solidly held his own in the middle for the Pacers. While his blocks per game is a little disappointing, he's been a surprisingly potent on offence when called upon. His contract comes off the books but with only Roy Hibbert and Jeff Foster as replacements, he may don the Pacers' blue and yellow once more.

FC Troy Murphy
Stats: 12.1 PPG 8.7 RPG 1.1 APG 1.03 SPG 1.26 BPG 34.1 MPG .406 FG% .221 3P% .893 FT%
Grade: C-

There were two different Troy Murphy's on display this season: the first was an offensive force who could score at will, played rugged defence around the basket and often led the team to victory in the absence of Danny Granger. The second struggled to put the ball in the basket from just about anywhere, seemed lost on defence and found himself riding pine more and more. Most disappointing was his 41% field goal percentage, including 22% from behind the three-point arc, where he needed to be more effective. When he his being outplayed by Rasho Nesterovic, there is trouble: that's just what was happening in the last few games. His defensive numbers were impressive, averaging over a block and a steal per game, and while rarely is it the case that one's contributions appear better in the stats line than they do in the game, with Troy it has been one of those instances.

SF Danny Granger
Stats: 18.8 PPG 5.1 RPG 2.9 APG 1.54 SPG 1.14 BPG 33.3 MPG .432 FG% .271 3P% .789 FT%
Grade: B+

Injuries and higher expectations bring Danny's grade down. He's missed 7 games thus far to two separate injuries which is cause for alarm and may contribute to his 27% three-point shooting. All of his statistics should improve with more minutes save his shooting percentages, which will result from extra time in the gym. In spite of his B+ grade he is the unquestioned team leader.

GF Mike Dunleavy
Stats: 16.8 PPG 3.8 RPG 1.3 APG 1.86 SPG 0.63 BPG 34.7 MPG .432 FG% .267 3P% .869 FT%
Grade: B-

Mike has had stellar days but for the most part has been just above mediocre. His defense has been suspect, though his 1.86 steals per game is a pleasant surprise, and his distribution has been very sub-par. He can score fairly adeptly and is a wiz at the stripe. He, like Troy Murphy, seem to suffer from consistency issues, but Mike's seem to fluctuate with more randomness.

PG T.J. Ford
Stats: 14.2 PPG 2.8 RPG 7.4 APG 1.97 SPG 0.49 BPG 32.7 MPG .486 FG% .324 3P% .821 FT%
Grade: A

T.J. has done exactly what he was brought over to do: be the floor general with an eye for assists but also capable of putting points up himself. His 14.2 points per game puts his third on the team it's coming with fantastic percentages. While his small stature has been a liablility on defence, he is providing almost two steals a game.

GF Brandon Rush
Stats: 8.5 PPG 2.6 RPG 1.1 APG 0.77 SPG 0.40 BPG 21.4 MPG .388 FG% .159 3P% .764 FT%
Grade: B

Brandon's been the first substitution off the bench and has excelled beyond his stats indicate. He is a streaky shooter which is unfortunate given that "shooter" was the label given to him out of college. He is tenacious on both ends of the floor and does earn the minutes he plays.

FC Udonis Haslem
Stats: 6.1 PPG 4.3 RPG 0.9 APG 0.58 SPG 0.64 BPG 17.1 MPG .531 FG% .000 3P% .784 FT%
Grade: B+

Udonis' stats consist of his time in Indiana and Miami, the former of which are significantly better. He has seen an expanded role in Indiana, especially in light of Troy Murphy's struggles. His defence has been the surprising factor, having multiple multiple-block games, and he has been a force of the offensive boards. He is consistent from the floor but hardly taxing on opponents' efforts.

C Roy Hibbert
Stats: 4.5 PPG 4.7 RPG 1.0 APG 0.54 SPG 0.77 BPG 15.6 MPG .533 FG% .000 3P% .636 FT%
Grade: C

Roy's development has not come as quick as anticipated. Hoping he could step into the starting centre role early on, he was given plenty of opportunity early on and showed flashes but not nearly enough to displace Rasho Nesterovic and now is battling with Jeff Foster for minutes at centre off the bench. He's still a big player with talent but it may take more time for him to become a standout middleman, especially on offence.

G Jarrett Jack
Stats: 5.4 PPG 1.3 RPG 2.4 APG 0.66 SPG 0.17 BPG 11.5 MPG .484 FG% .000 3P% .844 FT%
Grade: A

In his reserve role, Jarrett was positively dominant. He was often able to post up smaller guards and played rugged defence. While lacking an outside shot, he was unafraid to attack the basket and his percentages from the field and the line were fantastic. His 2.4 assists per game ranked third on the team.

GF Marquis Daniels
Stats: 3.9 PPG 1.4 RPG 0.6 APG 0.43 SPG 0.11 BPG 12.5 MPG .474 FG% .000 3P% .595 FT%
Grade: B-

Marquis started 6 games in place of Danny Granger and put up respectable numbers; however, upon returning to the bench he moved below Brandon Rush on the depth chart. He is a very good slasher and can create his own shot inside of 15 feet but it's a crapshoot outside of that range.

FC Jeff Foster
Stats: 1.6 PPG 1.5 RPG 0.1 APG 0.27 SPG 0.15 BPG 5.4 MPG .471 FG% .000 3P% .692 FT%
Grade: C+

Once it was apparent that Roy Hibbert was not ready to take the reins, Jeff received a little more playing time than his usually allotted garbage minutes. He played well and hustled, though failed to do anything spectacular.

GF Yakhouba Diawara
Stats: 1.7 PPG 0.6 RPG 0.0 APG 0.00 SPG 0.00 BPG 3.3 MPG .500 FG% .400 3P% 1.000 FT%
Grade: C

Acquired along with Udonis Haslem from Miami, Yakhouba did not see much play in close contests but showed an ability to defend and hit outside shots when given court time.

GF Stephen Graham
Stats: 2.7 PPG 0.6 RPG 0.1 APG 0.30 SPG 0.00 BPG 6.6 MPG .259 FG% .000 3P% .765 FT%
Grade: D

Even when given an opportunity to start Stephen still could not muster up enough and was relegated to the end of the bench. He shot a paltry 26% from the field and seemed lost in general.

PG Travis Diener
Stats: 3.3 PPG 0.0 RPG 0.3 APG 0.00 SPG 0.00 BPG 3.7 MPG 1.000 FG% 1.000 3P% .000 FT%
Grade: C+

Travis saw action at the end of three games, recording all 10 points in one contest. He is a capable shooter and distributor, as seen last season in the starting role.

Last edited by joeygraham on Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

This is a good dynasty even without a pictures. Its very clean. Keep it up

Two trades and five new faces

January 16 - The news broke last night of a four player trade between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder and it was quickly followed this morning by yet another roster move for the Pacers. The Pacers-Thunder trade, confirmed late last night, sees Pacers reserves Jeff Foster and Yakhouba Diawara being shipped south for FC Nick Collison and C Mouhamed Sene. Foster's contract was set to come off the books this off-season while Diawara's minimum contract would expire in two years. "While we're still a playoff contender with our previous roster, the inconsistent play of Troy [Murphy] coupled with the slow development of Roy [Hibbert] made acquiring another capable big man a necessity. Nick has a nice touch and is always energetic and Mouhamed is another project big, who will likely spend some time in the D-League," commented the Pacers' GM. Collison was averaging 10.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while starting in all 35 Thunder games. He also is averaging 2.2 assists which is an asset to a team struggling to move the ball in and out of the post.

Following this roster manoeuver, Larry Bird completed a second, six-player, deal with the Sacramento Kings. The inconsistent Troy Murphy, along with, most shockingly, Jarrett Jack and Stephen Graham for G Bobby Jackson, PF Kenny Thomas and FC Spencer Hawes. While it was known that Murphy and Graham was on the hot seat, Jack seemed safe, ranking third in assists and leading the second squad in spite of limited minutes. Acquired are Jackson and Thomas, both of whom were seeing limited minutes in Sacramento, two veteran with mid-sized contracts coming off the books in the next two years and Hawes, an offensive-minded centre who was buried deep on the Kings' bench.

How these trades will affect the Pacers' rotation remains to be seen. It is projected that Udonis Haslem will move into the starting line-up with Collison playing serious minutes off the bench and Travis Diener will see action at the point.

Last edited by joeygraham on Mon Nov 17, 2008 8:44 am, edited 1 time in total.