Provo,
Does the Pacers-Bulls team make
the Pacers the best team in the East, or are the Nets the team to beat
still? Certainly, the Pacers' front court is stronger, but how will
Isiah find minutes for Mercer and Artest, who are both used to getting
lots of shots and minutes? I think the starting line-up will be Miller,
Miller, O'Neal, Tinsley and Bender. Please
comment
I find it unusual that most sportswriters conclude that the Pacers got the best
of the 7 player trade with the Bulls. Since when is it smart in basketball to trade quality for
quantity? Iunderstand the difficulty of acquiring a decent center, and the trade does give
the Pacers abalanced team with a strong bench. Also in Indiana's favor is Best's impending
free agency- it's extremely unlikely he would have re-signed with Indiana. But Rose is the best
player in this trade by a such large margin that I just can't justify the trade for The Pacers.
On paper, the Pacers are perhaps the best team in the East, as they may have
been before the
trade. But Isiah Thomas has had them playing well below their capabilities
all season, and will
probably continue to do so. The Nets remain the team to beat, as well as a
possible 1st round
opponent for the Pacers. The Nets would only have to really worry about
guarding Jermaine O'Neal,
and have just the man for the job in Kenyon Martin. Wouldn't Indiana have
benefitted more from a
Jalen Rose/Keith Van Horn match up?
Notoriously inept at rotation management, Isiah
Thomas is in for some trouble. He now has tenplayers who are used to
getting good minutes, and five of them play the shooting guard and small
forward: Reggie Miller, Mercer, Bender, Croshere, and Arteste. Thomas
has stated that he will start Bender, but that is unlikely to last very
long, as he is by far the least experienced of the five. The Pacers are
making last minute attempts to trade one of the five, but have only one
day left to do so. They have reportedly offered Croshere to the Knicks
for Mark Jackson, but the Knicks are hesitant to take on Croshere's
lengthy contract
