2009 NBA Summer League round-up: Indiana Pacers
July 10th, 2009
– Will Blalock: The Pacers have been said to be looking for a point guard all summer long now. They kept Jamaal Tinsley inactive for all of last season, despite him being able and willing to play. Jarrett Jack is a restricted free agent, and even though he’s expected back, he isn’t really a point guard anyway. Neither is Travis Diener, and they seem to hate T.J. Ford more than it seems as though they should. But while Will Blalock is very much a point guard, I don’t think the answer to the Pacers’ point guard problem lies in a man who averaged 4.5 points and 2.1 assists in the German league last season. – Derrick Byars: Byars was briefly covered in the Nuggets round-up, but here’s a bonus fact about him. Byars’ three point percentage by month, last season: November – 0% December – 56% January – 28% February – 50% March – 26% April – 0% Overall – 38% It might be a coincidence that the two months he shot the most threes in were December and February. Or it might not. – Tyler Hansbrough: Us Bulls fans discussed at length whether it would be a good idea to pick Tyler Hansbrough at #26. We eventually decided on “yes”. As draft day approached, we moved on to discussing whether it’d be justifiable to pick Hansbrough as high as #16. Opinion was split, but the majority said “no”. Turns out it was irrelevant anyway, as Indiana went for him at #13. And, since it’s the 2009 draft we’re talking about, I think they can get away with that. – Roy Hibbert: Frank admission – Roy Hibbert is better than I thought he would be. He can score at the NBA level. Just can. He’d be better […]
2008 NBA Draft Night Diary, Part 2
June 27th, 2008
Part 1 – Pick 16: The awesomely-named Marreese Speights goes to the Sixers. But I missed this pick, too, due to more connection difficulties. Hmmmmm. I should probably move to America if I’m going to take Stu Scott’s job. This whole streaming thing isn’t getting it done. – Pick 17 is made by Toronto for Indiana, as a part of the Jermaine O’Neal deal, which is now being reported as “done”, even though it isn’t. (I’d like to think that Maceo Baston’s inclusion was a deal-breaker.) The Raptors select Roy Hibbert out of Georgetown, and instantly, a video fires up showing Hibbert performing the oft-celebrated Grandad Run™. This can’t be good news, because as we know, grandad runners are not stars, merely gamers who come home every night with mud on their uniform. So if Hibbert isn’t athletic, his life is basically over. But still, at least he’s not Undershirt David Harrison. Of all the people that were invited to sit in the Green Room – a name that seriously needs reviewing, since it’s neither green nor a room – only Darrell Arthur remains. ESPN uses the short interval after the Hibbert pick to take the time to focus on Arthur’s misery, and to really reinforce his humiliation in front of an international audience of millions. I wish they wouldn’t do this. (Someone I know went to the draft as the personal guest of Adam Silver. They inform me that Doris Burke was genuinely concerned about Arthur, comforting his family off-camera, and waiting until after they had had their “moment” to interview them after he was finally drafted. God bless Doris Burke and all who sail within her.) – Pick 18: JaVale McGee goes to the Wizards. David Stern announces that McGee is not here. Question: if you […]
