All posts by Derek Kramer

Editor-in-Chief of iPacers.com. Designer of T-shirts. Teacher of 5th-graders.

Coach K: Paul George is “playing the best basketball of his life”

Team USA easily won their exhibition contest against Argentina tonight with a final score of 111-74. Kevin Durant led the team in scoring with 23 points, while the Pacers Paul George added 18 points on 7 for 11 shooting with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals.

Coach K has been very impressed with George’s performance through the process.

“I think he’s playing the best basketball of his life right now,” Coach K said after the exhibition.  Continue reading Coach K: Paul George is “playing the best basketball of his life”

Dude, GR3 ain’t Perfect when it comes to trick shots

Glenn Robinson III visited the Plainfield Fire Department earlier today, and they had a little fun with the fire truck’s ladder.

While they were forcing Robinson to face his fear of heights, he attempted a trick shot from that high distance. It did not go like all those YouTube videos of trick shots that edit out attempts that go like this one.  Continue reading Dude, GR3 ain’t Perfect when it comes to trick shots

Myles Turner impressive during USA scrimmages

Myles Turner seems poised for a huge second season with Larry Bird complimenting his progress and new teammate Al Jefferson as a mentor, and now he’s showing off his improvement while scrimmaging against the Olympic roster for USA with the Select Team.

Yesterday, he blocked his own teammate Paul George on a drive to the rim. George even gives his teammate a little pat to say nice job after the play.

“I think just getting the invite alone is something that automatically comes with your game elevating,” George said last month. “You take that as he’s one of the best young prospects coming up. He’s only going to get better.”

George’s words before the event seem to be true already. Today, Marc Spears of ESPN and Ethan Strauss both commented on his superb play in the scrimmage.

Turner was noted with a stuff of DeMarcus Cousins (already a member of the Myles High Club) and then hitting a three at the other end by Strauss. 

Turner adding a little extra range to his shot would be huge for spacing in the offense and more importantly the block coming on a post up against one of the toughest players to guard down low is a very encouraging sign for his post defense next year.

Spears said Turner was playing like he should be on the Olympic team and not just the Select Team.

Turner’s clearly taking advantage of his opportunity to play against some of the best talent in the NBA. He was very excited for the chance to improve before the camp started.

“I approach each day with a different goal in mind,” said Turner of his offseason to the Indy Star. “What can I get accomplished that day, and I don’t leave until I get the goal accomplished. I’m very focused and dedicated to where I want to go and where I want to be one day.”

George told the Indy Star that he believes that Turner’s work ethic and desire to improve will lead to future All Star appearances and noted his efforts to improve his body and movement.

The sky’s the limit for Turner with his tireless work ethic and an already large amount of talent. Pacers fans can look  forward to many more players becoming members of the Myles High Club through the years.

The Myles High Club: Every player Myles Turner has blocked

This list will be constantly updated after every Pacers game to show the most recent members list of the Myles High Club (every player Myles Turner has blocked so far). It’s an exclusive group filled with All-Stars, MVPs, and even some of his current teammates.

Turner currently sits 4th in all-time blocks on the Pacers leaderboard with 1,001 blocks. The following lists include his 55 playoff blocks as well.
Frequent Flyer Total Times Blocked
Andre Drummond 22
DeMar DeRozan 19
James Harden 17
Zach LaVine 13
Giannis Antetokounmpo 13
Bam Adebayo 11
LeBron James 10
Julius Randle 10
Cody Zeller 10
Bismack Biyombo 10

Currently updated through 11/8/2022

Myles High Club Members Date Joined (Total times Blocked)
1. JaMychal Green 10/29/2015 (2)
2. Trey Burke 10/31/2015 (3)
3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 11/3/2015 (6)
4. Reggie Jackson 11/3/2015 (6)
5. Kelly Olynyk 11/4/2015 (2)
6. Timofey Mozgov 11/8/2015
7. Tony Snell 12/30/2015 (4)
8. Aaron Brooks 12/30/2015 (3)
9. Brandon Jennings 1/2/2016 (2)
10. Andre Drummond 1/2/2016 (22)
11. Shabazz Napier 1/6/2016
12. Norris Cole 1/8/2016
13. James Harden 1/10/2016 (16)
14. Emmanuel Mudiay 1/17/2016 (3)
15. Joffrey Lauvergne 1/17/2016
16. Brandon Knight 1/19/2016
17. Mirza Teletovic 1/19/2016
18. Tyson Chandler 1/19/2016
19. Archie Goodwin 1/19/2016
20. Harrison Barnes 1/22/2016 (6)
21. Shaun Livingston 1/22/2016
22. Rajon Rondo 1/23/2016 (5)
23. Darren Collison 1/23/2016 (2)
24. James Anderson 1/23/2016
25. DeMarcus Cousins 1/23/2016 (7)
26. Chris Paul 1/26/2016
27. Dennis Schroder 1/28/2016 (7)
28. Kenneth Faried 1/30/2016 (2)
29. Danilo Gallinari 1/30/2016 (2)
30. Gary Harris 1/30/2016 (3)
31. LeBron James 2/1/2016 (10)
32. Matthew Dellavedova 2/1/2016
33. Thaddeus Young 2/3/2016 (4)
34. Thabo Sefolosha 2/5/2016 (2)
35. Russell Westbrook 2/19/2016 (8)
36. Enes Kanter 2/19/2016 (8)
37. Kevin Durant 2/19/2016 (3)
38. Victor Oladipo 2/21/2016 (3)
39. Nikola Vucevic 2/21/2016 (6)
40. Aaron Gordon 2/21/2016 (6)
41. Luol Deng 2/22/2016
42. Amare Stoudemire 2/22/2016
43. Damian Lillard 2/28/2016 (5)
44. Kevin Love 2/29/2016 (5)
45. Iman Shumpert 2/29/2016 (2)
46. Jabari Parker 3/2/2016 (6)
47. Jeremy Lin 3/4/2016 (4)
48. Danny Green 3/7/2016 (2)
49. Tony Parker 3/7/2016
50. Chandler Parsons 3/12/2016 (2)
51. Paul Millsap 3/13/2016 (2)
52. Amir Johnson 3/15/2016 (2)
53. Jerami Grant 3/21/2016 (4)
54. Hollis Thompson 3/21/2016
55. Omer Asik 3/24/2016
56. Tim Frazier 3/24/2016
57. Luke Babbit 3/24/2016
58. Brook Lopez 3/26/2016 (5)
59. Clint Capela 3/27/2016 (5)
60. Nik Stauskas 4/2/2016 (2)
61. Jerian Grant 4/3/2016 (3)
62. Jonas Valanciunas 4/8/2016 (6)
63. Norman Powell 4/8/2016 (7)
64. Chris McCullough 4/10/2016
65. Bojan Bogdanovic 4/10/2016 (6)
66. DeMar DeRozan 4/16/2016 Playoffs (19)
67. Luis Scola 4/16/2016 Playoffs (2)
68. Bismack Biyombo 4/18/2016 Playoffs (10)
69. Kyle Lowry 4/21/2016 Playoffs (4)
70. Patrick Patterson 4/26/2016 Playoffs (3)
71. DeMarre Carroll 4/29/2016 Playoffs (4)
2016-17 First Date Blocked (How many times blocked ever)
72. Deron Williams 10/26/2016
73. J.J. Barea 10/26/2016 (2)
74. Trevor Booker 10/28/2016 (4)
75. Sean Kilpatrick 10/28/2016 (2)
76. Robin Lopez 10/29/2016 (6)
77. Dwyane Wade 10/29/2016 (3)
78. Tarik Black 11/1/2016
79. D’Angelo Russell 11/1/2016
80. Taj Gibson 11/5/2016 (4)
81. Marvin Williams 11/7/2016 (2)
82. Kemba Walker 11/7/2016 (8)
83. Dario Saric 11/9/2016 (7)
84. Robert Covington 11/9/2016 (3)
85. Gerald Henderson 11/11/2016 (2)
86. Isaiah Thomas 11/12/2016 (3)
87. Jonas Jerebko 11/12/2016
88. Tristan Thompson 11/16/2016 (6)
89. Richard Jefferson 11/16/2016
90. Kyrie Irving 11/16/2016 (6)
91. Jared Dudley 11/18/2016
92. Devin Booker 11/18/2016 (4)
93. Steven Adams 11/20/2016 (4)
94. Tim Hardaway Jr. 11/23/2016 (4)
95. Dwight Howard 11/23/2016 (5)
96. Austin Rivers 11/27/2016
97. Maurice Harkless 11/30/2016
98. Blake Griffin 12/4/2016 (5)
99. Klay Thompson 12/5/2016 (2)
100. Zaza Pachulia 12/5/2016
101. P.J. Tucker 12/7/2016
102. Alex Len 12/7/2016 (5)
103. Dorian Finney-Smith 12/9/2016 (2)
104. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 12/12/2016 (5)
105. James Johnson 12/14/2016 (2)
106. Goran Dragic 12/14/2016 (6)
107. Tyler Johnson 12/14/2016
108. Markieff Morris 12/19/2016 (3)
109. Kelly Oubre, Jr. 12/19/2016 (8)
110. Otto Porter, Jr. 12/19/2016 (3)
111. John Wall 12/19/2016 (6)
112. Kristaps Porzingis 12/20/2016 (9)
113. Carmelo Anthony 12/20/2016 (3)
114. Joakim Noah 12/20/2016
115. Derrick Rose 12/20/2016 (3)
116. Jaylen Brown 12/22/2016 (9)
117. Bradley Beal 12/28/2016 (4)
118. Michael Carter-Williams 12/30/2016
119. Marcus Morris 1/3/2017 (4)
120. Terrence Jones 1/16/2017
121. Jrue Holiday 1/16/2017 (3)
122. Solomon Hill 1/16/2017 (2)
123. Donatas Motiejunas 1/16/2017
124. Brandon Ingram 1/21/2017 (7)
125. Justin Holiday 1/23/2017 (5)
126. Zach LaVine 1/26/2017 (13)
127. Andrew Wiggins 1/26/2017 (8)
128. Ryan Anderson 1/29/2017
129. Eric Gordon 1/29/2017 (4)
130. Elfrid Payton 2/1/2017 (4)
131. Isaiah Whitehead 2/3/2017
132. Giannis Antetokounmpo 2/11/2017 (13)
133. Vince Carter 2/24/2017
134. Dion Waiters 2/25/2017 (2)
135. Lou Williams 2/28/2017 (2)
136. Cody Zeller 3/6/2017 (10)
137. Jason Terry 3/10/2017
138. Greg Monroe 3/10/2017
139. Josh Richardson 3/12/2017 (5)
140. Courtney Lee 3/14/2017
141. Willy Hernangomez 3/14/2017 (2)
142. Gordon Hayward 3/20/2017 (3)
143. Joe Johnson 3/20/2017
144. Rudy Gobert 3/20/2017 (7)
145. George Hill 3/20/2017 (3)
146. Al Horford 3/22/2017 (4)
147. Will Barton 3/24/2017 (8)
148. Nikola Jokic 3/24/2017 (5)
149. Wilson Chandler 3/24/2017
150. Gorgui Dieng 3/28/2017 (2)
151. Tony Allen 3/29/2017
152. Tiago Splitter 4/10/2017
153. Richaun Holmes 4/10/2017 (4)
154. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot 4/10/2017
155. Kris Humphries 4/12/2017 (2)
156. DeAndre Bembry 4/12/2017 (2)
157. Ryan Kelly 4/12/2017 (2)
158. Malcolm Delaney 4/12/2017
2017-18 First Date Blocked (How many times blocked ever)
159. Caris LeVert 10/18/2017 (2)
160. Jerryd Bayless 11/3/2017
161. Joel Embiid 11/3/2017 (5)
162. J.J. Redick 11/3/2017
163. E’Twaun Moore 11/7/2017
164. Eric Moreland 11/8/2017
165. Denzel Valentine 11/10/2017 (3)
166. Bobby Portis 11/10/2017
167. Luc Mbah a Moute 11/12/2017
168. Marc Gasol 11/15/2017 (5)
169. Tyreke Evans 11/15/2017
170. Brandan Wright 11/15/2017
171. Tobias Harris 11/17/2017 (6)
172. Avery Bradley 11/17/2017
173. Hassan Whiteside 11/19/2017 (5)
174. Evan Fournier 11/20/2017 (4)
175. Jonathon Simmons 11/20/2017 (2)
176. Serge Ibaka 11/25/2017 (3)
177. Abdel Nadaer 11/26/2017
178. Kris Dunn 12/7/2017 (2)
179. Channing Frye 12/9/2017
180. Tyler Zeller 12/17/2017 (2)
181. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson 12/17/2017 (2)
182. Joe Harris 12/23/2017 (3)
183. Jarrett Allen 12/23/2017 (3)
184. Spencer Dinwiddie 12/23/2017 (4)
185. Dwight Powell 12/27/2017 (2)
186. Dennis Smith 12/27/2017 (2)
187. Lauri Markkanen 12/29/2017 (4)
188. Tyus Jones 12/31/2017
189. Jimmy Butler 12/31/2017 (9)
190. Eric Bledsoe 1/8/2018 (4)
191. John Henson 1/8/2018
192. Dillon Brooks 1/31/2018 (2)
193. Jeremy Lamb 2/2/2018
194. Jayson Tatum 2/9/2018 (9)
195. Donovan Mitchell 3/7/2018 (3)
196. Derrick Favors 3/7/2018
197. Jaylen Morris 3/9/2018
198. Aron Baynes 3/11/2018 (5)
199. Julius Randle 3/19/2018 (10)
200. Emeka Okafor 3/21/2018 (2)
201. Bam Adebayo 3/25/2018 (11)
202. Jordan Bell 3/27/2018
203. Quinn Cook 3/27/2018
204. Skal Labissieri 3/29/2018
205. Willie Cauley-Stein 3/29/2018 (4)
206. Deandre Jordan 4/1/2018
207. O.G. Anunoby 4/6/2018 (4)
208. Larry Nance Jr. 4/15/2018 (Playoffs) (2)
209. Jordan Clarkson 4/25/2018 (Playoffs)
2018-19 First Date Blocked (How many times blocked ever)
210. Ed Davis 10/20/2018
211. LaMarcus Aldridge 10/24/2018 (2)
212. Cedi Osman 10/27/2018 (2)
213. Jake Layman 10/29/2018
214. CJ McCollum 10/29/2018 (2)
215. Cristiano Felicio 11/2/2018
216. Wendell Carter Jr. 11/2/2018 (3)
217. Antonio Blakeney 11/2/2018
218. James Ennis III 11/5/2018 (2)
219. Ben Simmons 11/7/2018 (4)
220. Justice Winslow 11/9/2018 (4)
221. Kevin Huerter 11/17/2018
222. Kent Bazemore 11/17/2018
223. Jae Crowder 11/19/2018 (6)
224. Frank Kaminsky 11/21/2018 (2)
225. Royce O’Neale 11/26/2018
226. Trevor Ariza 11/27/2018 (4)
227. DeAndre Ayton 11/27/2018 (7)
228. T.J. Warren 11/27/2018 (2)
229. De’Aaron Fox 12/1/2018 (5)
230. Jonathan Isaac 12/7/2018
231. Buddy Hield 12/8/2018 (2)
232. Thomas Bryant 12/10/2018 (2)
233. Malcolm Brogdon 12/12/2018
234. Ersan Ilyasova 12/12/2018 (2)
235. Furkan Korkmaz 12/14/2018
236. Ante Zizic 12/18/2018 (2)
237. Alec Burks 12/18/2018 (5)
238. Fred VanVleet 12/19/2018 (6)
239. Pascal Siakam 12/19/2018 (5)
240. Lorenzo Brown 12/19/2018
241. Rodions Kurucs 12/21/2018 (5)
242. Jeff Green 12/23/2018 (5)
243. Tomas Satoranksy 12/23/2018 (3)
244. Trae Young 12/26/2018
245. John Collins 12/31/2018 (3)
246. Luka Doncic 1/15/2019 (2)
247. Jaren Jackson Jr. 1/26/2019
248. Jahlil Okafor 2/4/2019
249. Kenrich Williams 2/4/2019
250. Cheick Diallo 2/4/2019
251. Ivica Zubac 2/5/2019 (2)
252. Kyle Kuzma 2/5/2019 (5)
253. Johnathan Motley 2/7/2019
254. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 2/7/2019
255. Montrezl Harrell 2/7/2019 (3)
256. Jerome Robinson 2/7/2019 (2)
257. Collin Sexton 2/9/2019 (4)
258. Marquese Chriss 2/9/2019
259. Khris Middleton 2/13/2019
260. Karl Anthony-Towns 2/28/2019 (3)
261. Jeff Teague 2/28/2019 (4)
262. Anthony Tolliver 2/28/2019
263. Terrence Ross 3/2/2019
264. Nikola Mirotic 3/7/2019
265. Noah Vonleh 3/12/2019
266. Allonzo Trier 3/12/2019
267. Patrick Beverley 3/19/2019 (2)
268. Terrance Ferguson 3/27/2019
269. Langston Galloway 4/1/2019
270. Bruce Brown Jr. 4/3/2019 (3)
271. Daniel Theis 4/17/2019 Playoffs (5)
2019-20 First Date Blocked (How many times blocked ever)
272. Wes Matthews 11/16/2019
273. Džanan Musa 11/18/2019 (2)
274. Taurean Prince 11/18/2019 (2)
275. Markelle Fultz 11/23/2019 (2)
276. Wes Iwundu 11/23/2019
277. Ja Morant 11/25/2019 (5)
278. Mike Conley 11/27/2019
279. DeAndre Hunter 11/29/2019 (2)
280. Damian Jones 11/29/2019
281. Bruno Fernando 11/29/2019
282. DeAnthony Melton 12/2/2019
283. Christian Wood 12/6/2019
284. RJ Barrett 12/7/2019 (6)
285. Mitchell Robinson 12/7/2019 (3)
286. Paul George 12/9/2019
287. Cody Martin 12/15/2019 (6)
288. Terry Rozier 12/15/2019 (6)
289. Alex Caruso 12/17/2019
290. Marvin Bagley 12/20/2019
291. Yogi Ferrell 12/20/2019
292. Donte DiVincenzo 12/22/2019
293. Tyler Herro 1/8/2020 (8)
294. Delon Wright 2/3/2020 (4)
295. Terence Davis 2/5/2020 (2)
296. Jaxson Hayes 2/8/2020
297. Nicolò Melli 2/8/2020
298. Josh Hart 2/8/2020
299. Miles Bridges 2/25/2020 (2)
300. Darius Garland 2/29/2020
301. Trey Lyles 3/2/2020 (3)
302. Shaquille Harrison 3/6/2020
303. Daniel Gafford 3/6/2020
304. Romeo Langford 3/10/2020 (2)
305. Ish Smith 8/3/2020
306. Derrick Jones Jr. 8/24/2020 (Playoffs) (2)
2020-21 First Date Blocked (How many times blocked ever)
307. Obi Toppin 12/23/2020 (3)
308. Coby White 12/26/2020 (4)
309. Zion Williamson 1/4/2021 (5)
310. David Nwaba 1/6/2021
311. Mikal Bridges 1/9/2021
312. Tyrese Haliburton 1/22/2021
313. James Wiseman 1/13/2021 (4)
314. Brad Wanamaker 1/13/2021
315. Jusuf Nurkic 1/15/2021 (2)
316. Dwayne Bacon 1/22/2021
317. Stanley Johnson 1/24/2021
318. Yuta Watanabe 1/24/2021
319. Chris Boucher 1/24/2021 (2)
320. Tyrese Maxey 1/31/2021 (2)
321. Brandon Clarke 2/2/2021
322. Kyle Anderson 2/2/2021
323. Joe Ingles 2/7/2021
324. Josh Jackson 2/11/2021
325. Garrett Temple 2/15/2021
326. Patrick Williams 2/15/2021 (2)
327. Jordan McLaughlin 2/17/2021
328. Anthony Edwards 2/17/2021
329. Malik Beasley 2/17/2021
330. Reggie Bullock 2/27/2021
331. Shake Milton 3/1/2021
332. Jamal Murray 3/4/2021 (2)
333. Talen Horton-Tucker 3/12/2021
334. Cameron Payne 3/13/2021 (2)
335. PJ Dozier 3/15/2021
336. Nicolas Claxton 3/17/2021
337. Kendrick Nunn 3/20/2021
338. Chris Silva 3/20/2021
339. Mason Plumlee 3/24/2021 (4)
340. Rui Hachimura 3/29/2021 (2)
341. Keldon Johnson 4/3/2021 (3)
342. Rudy Gay 4/3/2021 (2)
2021-22 First Date Blocked (How many times blocked ever)
343. LaMelo Ball 10/20/2021
344. P.J. Washington 10/20/2021
345. Dalano Banton 10/27/2021
346. Precious Achiuwa 10/30/2021 (3)
347. Scottie Barnes 10/30/2021
348. Gary Trent Jr. 10/30/2021
349. Jakob Poeltl 11/1/2021
350. Devin Vassell 11/1/2021
351. Bones Hyland 11/10/2021
352. Georges Niang 11/13/2021
353. Isaiah Stewart 11/17/2021 (3)
354. Dewayne Dedmon 12/3/2021
355. Omer Yurtseven 12/3/2021
356. Caleb Martin 12/3/2021 (2)
357. Deni Avdija 12/6/2021 (3)
358. Kevon Looney 12/13/2021 (2)
359. Draymond Green 12/13/2021
360. Jordan Nwora 12/15/2021 (2)
361. Sandro Mamukelashvili 12/15/2021
362. Thanasis Antetokounmpo 12/15/2021
363. Grayson Allen 12/15/2021
364. Cade Cunningham 12/16/2021 (2)
365. Gabe Vincent 12/16/2021 (2)
366. Jalen Green 12/23/2021
367. Alperen Sengun 12/23/2021
368. Jalen McDaniels 12/29/2021
369. Javonte Green 12/31/2021 (2)
370. Lamar Stevens 1/2/2022
371. Brandon Goodwin 1/2/2022
2022-23 First Date Blocked (How many times blocked ever)
372. Max Strus 11/4/2022 (2)

Report: Aaron Brooks expected to sign 1-year deal with Pacers

Update: Shams now reports that the deal is done between Brooks and the Pacers : 1 year, $2.5 million and will be signed this week.

Continue reading Report: Aaron Brooks expected to sign 1-year deal with Pacers

Myles Turner & Al Jefferson a perfect match

The Pacers signing of Al Jefferson to a 3-year, $30 million contract might be the best thing they could have done for their future star Myles Turner.

Professor Al meet your student.

“As far as helping younger players,” said Jefferson, “that’s just part of my DNA.” Like Turner, Jefferson came into the NBA as a 19-year-old rookie, and Jefferson’s always been eager to repay the favor of veterans teaching him at the beginning of his career.

“I’m really looking forward to working with some of these young guys,” said Jefferson. And later, “Turner’s got upside.”  Continue reading Myles Turner & Al Jefferson a perfect match

New numbers for the new Pacers

Pacers officially announced the acquisitions of Thaddeus Young, Jeff Teague, and Jeremy Evans earlier today and each player had to choose a new number from the one worn the previous season.

Thad Young will rock the former number of David West, during his Pacers time with number 21. His former number with the Nets (30) is retired in honor of ABA great George McGinnis.

Continue reading New numbers for the new Pacers

Glenn Robinson III, Georges Niang continue to impress in Summer League play

The Pacers fell to the Pistons in their third game of Summer League play after a late rally fell short as Joe Young’s tying layup attempt somehow bounced out, 80-76. Their record is now 1-2.

More important than the results of a very entertaining, but meaningless game, a couple of the Pacers young players played very well with challenging matchups.

Glenn Robinson III was up against the Pistons previous first-round pick and defensive stalwart Stanley Johnson. GR3 put up 20 points and 7 rebounds, while going back and forth matching bucket for bucket with Johnson in the closing minutes of the game.

At the same time, Georges Niang, the 50th pick in the draft, went up against Henry Ellenson, who the Pistons picked at 18. Niang put up 14 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.  Continue reading Glenn Robinson III, Georges Niang continue to impress in Summer League play

Lance Stephenson considering a return to the Pacers

Born Ready may become Reborn Ready soon. Nate Taylor of the Indy Star reports that Lance Stephenson is considering a return to the Pacers as he mulls offers from multiple teams. Both sides appear to be interested in the possible reunion.

Stephenson has played for three teams since turning down the Pacers 5 year, $44 million deal just two years ago. After a challenging year with the Hornets, he was traded to the Clippers. The Clippers then traded him during last season to the injury-riddled Grizzlies where Stephenson started to find his groove as a player again. He averaged over 14 points per game while with Memphis, but the team declined his $9.4 million team option which made him an unrestricted free agent.  Continue reading Lance Stephenson considering a return to the Pacers

Pacers Summer League Game 2 Grades and Recap

In a sluggish, whistle-filled game, the Pacers Summer League squad lost to the Hornets 80-70. Glenn Robinson III and Shayne Whittington were the only double-digit scorers for the Pacers as the team seemed to struggle offensively against a more physical opponent than yesterday’s game. The first half was hard to watch as it was dominated by officiating. You know it’s a bad sign in the Summer League when the refs are a topic of conversation for the broadcast team. If you missed the analysis and highlights from Game 1, they are here. Much more positive notes to take from that game than this one.

Joe Young: 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 0 turnovers in 22 minutes. (2 of 6 from field, 0 of 2 from 3-point range)

Grade: B-  Continue reading Pacers Summer League Game 2 Grades and Recap

ESPN reports Pacers, Kings have discussed Rudy Gay deal

Yesterday, there were some rumblings from unreliable sources and today Marc Stein of ESPN has reported that the Pacers and Kings have discussed a potential deal that would send Rudy Gay to the Pacers.

Continue reading ESPN reports Pacers, Kings have discussed Rudy Gay deal

Summer League Game 1 Grades: Indiana Pacers 93, Orlando Blue 66

The Pacers couldn’t have asked for a much better showing from their five-rostered players in their first Summer League game as they combined for 75 points in the blowout win over the Orlando Blue, 93-66. Keep reading for a look at each of those player’s performances and some highlights.

Joe Young: 22 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 5 turnovers (8 of 12 from the field, 5 of 7 from 3-point territory)

Grade: B+  Continue reading Summer League Game 1 Grades: Indiana Pacers 93, Orlando Blue 66

Pacers & Al Jefferson agree in principle to 3-year, $30 million deal

The Indiana Pacers have made some noise in free agency. According to Woj, the Pacers have agreed in principle to a deal with veteran center Al Jefferson on a 3 year, $30 million deal.

Jefferson will immediately give the Pacers a post-scoring threat off the bench at the center position. Last season, the 31-year-old Jefferson averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds in only 23 minutes per game. Injuries have been an issue for him recently as he was limited to only 47 games last year. If you’re unfamiliar with Jefferson’s game, prepare yourself for a plethora of impressively effective pump fakes and slow moving post moves.  Continue reading Pacers & Al Jefferson agree in principle to 3-year, $30 million deal

Pacers express an interest in Willie Reed

Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports that the Pacers and Timberwolves have expressed interest in Willie Reed. You may be thinking, “Who?” So, let me fill you in.

Kennedy sees Reed as a potential steal in free agency, and the numbers back him up. In Reed’s first year in the NBA, his per 36 minutes numbers were outstanding: 15.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks. His PER is a terrific 19.2 and has a positive Net Rating (+8) and On/Off rating (+0.4).  Continue reading Pacers express an interest in Willie Reed

Pacers Summer League Preview

The Indiana Pacers announced their roster for the Orlando Summer League earlier this week. The roster features many familiar faces including five players likely to suit up for the blue and gold next season and will be coached by Popeye Jones, Pacers assistant coach. The team will play five games that will run through the heart of the NBA free agency madness from July 2 through July 8 (Pacers schedule below). No one’s playing in the Summer League without something to prove and we’ll look at what some of the key players on the roster need to work on.  Continue reading Pacers Summer League Preview

Potential Free Agent Targets for the Pacers

The Pacers have already had a busy offseason: adding two starters in Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young before the NBA draft. These two likely starters will most likely be the biggest moves Larry Bird and the Pacers make in preparation for the 2016-2017 season. They have two remaining spots on their roster available if they plan to sign second-round pick, Georges Niang. ICYMI: Here’s an in-depth analysis on what the Pacers are likely to do with their own free agents. I recommend reading that post before this one.

Depending on whether the Pacers decide to keep any of their free agents, they are generally seen to have anywhere from $12 – 20 million in cap space (depending on whether or not they want to keep Ian Mahinmi) to spend on the last two roster spots and a potential renegotiation of the newly acquired Teague’s contract. While the Pacers could look to trade one of their ball dominant guards (Monta Ellis, Rodney Stuckey), nothing has indicated to this point that is part of Bird’s plan. During his post-draft press conference, Kevin Pritchard, the Pacers General Manager and second in command to Bird, mentioned how the Pacers see other teams having success by always having four or five playmakers on the court at all times. Bird likely sees both Ellis and Stuckey as key pieces that the Pacers will need for their plan to fill the court with playmakers. I could go on and on about the potential pitfalls here for the Pacers, so that’s another post for another day. For the sake of this article, I will assume the Pacers are not planning on trading away any of their current pieces. (I’m sure since I wrote this that Bird will quickly trade away someone before free agency even starts.)

Since the Pacers have only a max of about $20 million in cap room, we can immediately cross off the cream of the crop in this free agency class: Kevin Durant, Nicolas Batum, Al Horford, and Mike Conley. The Pacers likely never had much of a chance at any of these guys anyway despite awesome hashtags like #KevINDYrant. They will not be discussed here as viable options. One other thing that should be known about the Pacers: they do not go after restricted free agents (RFA) per the owner’s policy. So, going after young guys just coming off of their rookie contracts like Allen Crabbe, Evan Fournier, Troy Daniels, etc. will not be an option for Bird and the Pacers due to this organizational limitation.

With the Pacers starting lineup likely set barring another trade,– Jeff Teague, Monta Ellis, Paul George, Thaddeus Young and Myles Turner– the Pacers will be looking for players that can fill specific bench roles with their last two spots on the roster. Here are some options (both good and bad):  Continue reading Potential Free Agent Targets for the Pacers

Nate McMillan fills out coaching staff

Indiana Pacers announced who all will be on Nate McMillan’s coaching staff. Defensive guru Dan Burke and Popeye Jones both will return, while McMillan adds Bill Bayno as his top assistant. Bayno and McMillman worked together during nearly all of McMillan’s time as a head coach with the Portland Trailblazers.

“I was impressed with him then,” said McMillan on his time with Bayno in Portland, “and always hoped I would have the opportunity to work with him again.”  Continue reading Nate McMillan fills out coaching staff

Paul George will still be PG-13 with USA Basketball

USA Basketball officially announced its roster for the 2016 Rio Olympics early this morning. Here’s a look at the 12-man roster that includes Indiana Pacers star Paul George:

They’ve also reassigned each player a number from 1-15 per tradition of USA Basketball (also might be a rule of Olympics for all teams). So, what number did Paul George, who was wearing 29 when working out with Olympic team in the past, pick or get assigned? 13 of course, and the jerseys are 🔥🔥🔥 (fire for those of you without emojis).  Continue reading Paul George will still be PG-13 with USA Basketball

Will the Pacers re-sign any of their free agents?

The Pacers have already made some major changes to their roster in the early stages of the off-season: trading George Hill for Jeff Teague in a 3-team deal and trading their 1st-round pick for Thaddeus Young. If the Pacers sign 2nd-round pick Georges Niang, that’ll put the Pacers roster at 13 players under contract for next season with only two open roster spots left. The Pacers have four free agents from last year’s team: Ian Mahinmi, Solomon Hill, Jordan Hill, and Ty Lawson. Let’s take a look at each player and the likelihood that the Pacers will retain their services for the 2016-17 season.  Continue reading Will the Pacers re-sign any of their free agents?