An In-Depth Q&A With Clips Nation

Clips Nation is sporting a new slogan: "The New Generic Clippers - All of the Basketball, With None of the Brand. After writing my own take on the Clippers, I approached top blogger ClipperSteve with some questions about them. We touch on Eric Gordon, Baron Davis, and, yes, the lack of Brand in Los Angeles.

Find out what Clippers fans are calling Elton Brand now, then head over to Clips Nation all year for the scoop on my sleeper pick for the NBA playoffs in the West.
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Kornheiser's Cartel: The Clippers had an interesting offseason. They lost Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, one of the 15 best players in the NBA the number 11 scorer in the NBA last season, respectively, and received no compensation for either, yet they enter this season with a bright outlook thanks to a draft pick, free agent signing, and lopsided cap-driven trade.

Personally, the Indiana Hoosiers are the team I hate most, but I think Eric Gordon was the best value in the draft in regards to where he got picked. Coming out of high school and halfway through the season, he had a shot to be one of the first two picks, but a late season injury and shooting slump (related) caused him to fall. His workouts proved him to be the most athletic guard in the draft and also the strongest. He can shoot, he can drive, and he's a lock-down defender when his head's right. But from reading through Clippers forums, I don't sense that they're really excited about Gordon. Was Gordon the right choice? What do you expect out of him this season? Do you see any All Star appearances in his career?

Clips Nation: I love Gordon. I had convinced myself before the draft that he was the best player the Clippers could possibly hope for picking 7th, so I was thrilled that he was available, and I think Mike Dunleavy was also. As you point out, he was rated ahead of OJ Mayo and Derrick Rose midway through the NCAA season, so there was a time when everyone loved him. His stock dropped when he finished his one season at IU poorly, but a wrist injury and the loss of a coach who was a father figure can have that effect on people. Also, there are those that felt he measured up as too small for the NBA when he got measured at the draft combine.

Interestingly, I had the complete opposite take away from the combine. He's built like a tank - anyone can see that. When it turned out he was the best jumper in camp and among the fastest and quickest players there, it just blew me away. I mean, how many players have that combination of size and athleticism? And a textbook shooting stroke? The fact that he may be one inch smaller than the ideal NBA shooting guard is completley beside the point when you consider that he's about 50 pounds heavier and 20 times stronger than the guys he'll be matched up against. So I don't worry about his size. There's a little trepidation around Clips Nation given that he pulled a hamstring in his second Summer League game, and then sprained his ankle the first day of training camp. I don't think landing on a foot makes him injury-prone - but we really want to see this guy on the court.

Still, I think the expectations for him this season are low, mainly because he's only 19. Dunleavy's never been super rookie friendly, so most of us are realists and just don't expect him to get a lot of court time this season. But make no mistake - he's penciled in as the starter at the two for many, many years and he'll be a very good pro in the near future. Will that future involve an ASG? Well, Danny Manning is the only Clipper draft pick in history to make the All Star team as a Clipper - so if you're playing the odds, you gotta say no. But it's not for a lack of big time talent.


KC: The signing of Baron Davis made an LA vs. LA Western Conference Finals seem likely until Elton Brand bolted to Philadelphia. You gonna grow a beard in honor of Davis? Do you see B Diddy flourishing five more years at his breakneck pace? Do Clips fans hate Elton Brand?

CN: I already have the goatee; don't really want to do the full beard thing - too scratchy... too much gray. But I love Baron Davis as a Clipper. The Clipper's history at the point guard is abysmal, even by their low standards. Look at it this way - Rick Brunson, Jason Hart and Brevin Knight have been the starter for significant portions of three of the last four seasons. Sam Cassell had one good year, but for the most part the point has been a train wreck for the Clippers for a quarter century. Baron changes all of that immediately.

And it matters. Point guard is the most important position in the NBA in my humble opinion, and also the hardest to fill. A good point guard makes everyone else on the team better. So while the loss of Elton Brand stings (I won't get into that whole thing, but if you want to know how I really feel you can click here), I believe that Baron Davis is, if not a better player, a more important player. If for no other reason, Baron's ability to make big shots is a huge upgrade. Search for Baron Davis game-winner on YouTube and you get 34 results. Search for Elton Brand game-winner and you get five results - only one of which happens to be an actual Elton Brand game winner. Who would you rather give the ball to on the final possession?

Do Clipper fans hate Elton Brand now? In a word, yes. A lot. On my blog he's now universally known as FElton. I don't suppose I have to explain the derivation.


KC: The Marcus Camby trade was a bold move by the Clippers, but they certainly needed frontcourt help. They don't seem compatible at first glance, but the more I think about it the more I like the pairing. They were number one and three in the league in blocks last season, so they'll deflect a lot of shots and finishing at the hoop a risky proposition for penetrators. Baron Davis was already third in the league in steals last season can take more chances knowing he has cover behind him. The move sort of turns them into the Pistons from a few years ago essentially. Davis is the powerful lead guard in the mold of Chauncey Billups, Gordon and Cuttino Mobley are shooters like Rip Hamilton, Al Thornton is the long small forward, and Kaman and Camby will combine for more points than Detroit was getting from Rasheed and Ben Wallace. Did you think the trade was worth the effort? Can Kaman and Camby co-exist, or am I EFF'n nuts for comparing the 2008-09 Clippers to (a poor-man's version of) the 2004 Pistons?

CN: The Camby 'trade' (and I use the term loosely - it was closer to a straight free agent signing than a trade) was an absolute no-brainer as far as I'm concerned. And I'll tell you why - 2010. Look, the Clippers were going to spend that money - they weren't going to go into the season below the cap. And it's very much to their credit that they didn't sit around and pout when FElton screwed them. Camby is, in my opinion, a better fit than Josh Smith or Emeka Okafor (neither of whom were likely to wind up here anyway) and a signficantly better fit than Zach Randolph. But the real story is that Camby only has two years left on his contract. So from the team's standpoint, there's very little downside. If he plays well, great. If not, they'll have a trading chip next season, and a gob of cap space in 2010.

But on the basketball side, I think it's great. How many teams can have a top five shot-blocker on the floor at all times? And when they're on the floor together, I think they'll be great. You failed to mention that they were both top three in rebounding last season. On offense, they don't really do the same things. Camby hovers at 17 feet, Kaman works on the low block. On defense, they Clippers will have both sides of the rim covered. Basically, the lane will be a 'no fly zone'. Baron and the perimeter defenders have carte blanche to gamble for steals, knowing full well that Kam-Cam has their back. Not to mention that the wings can release pretty much the second a shot goes up, because Kam-Cam is going to get the rebound. Coach Dunleavy says he's going to run this season, and the two-headed monster he's got blocking shots and grabbing rebounds is a great way to start the fast break. Is there some concern that a smaller, quicker four will cause a matchup problem away from the basket? Well, Camby is really more of a four anyway, despite the fact that he played center in Denver. And although people see Kaman, the doofusy looking white guy and assume he is slow and plodding, but the simple fact is that he has great lateral quickness for a guy his size - he's actually very athletic. I don't see a problem playing them together at all.

As for your 2004 Pistons analogy, you really caught me off guard with that one. It's a pretty interesting analogy. It breaks down in a couple of places. The Pistons wings of Hamilton and Prince were (are) simply better than Mobley and Thornton. (Maybe in a couple seasons Gordon and Thornton could be on that level.) One of the big differences on the wing is defense; a difference that extends to the on-ball defense of Sheed and Ben. The Clippers hope to be a very good defensive team, but as of now all we can expect is a very good shot-blocking team, which is a nice start, but not the same thing. Thornton is, at this stage of his career, a poor defender, though I expect him to improve. Camby has never been a great on ball defender, and in fact the Nuggets went to great lengths to keep him on the weak side to let him roam and block shots. (On the other hand, Camby is an infinitely better offensive player than Ben Wallace.) And Kaman is adequate, but not great as an on ball defender. So I think that 2004 Pistons team is more than a bit ambitious for this Clippers squad. I see where you're going, and maybe that's a good goal if absolutely everything goes right. But defense is the key to getting to that level.

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An In-Depth Q&A With Grizzlies Blogger Joshua Coleman

3 Shades of Blue is it when it comes to Memphis Grizzlies coverage, and that's not just my opinion. Ball Don't Lie told me so.

Kornheiser's Cartel isn't it when it comes to anything yet, but it's trying. Or rather I'm trying, because no one else really posts on here anymore.

Hopefully Billynho will make inroads to finding our/my it with this informative interview with Joshua Coleman from 3 Shades of Blue (who I found to be unreasonably rational and logical in his answers... very impressed) where we talk all things grisly and Grizzly.

Read my look at the Grizzlies and make sure to head over to http://3shadesofblue.blogspot.com/ when you're done reading.

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Kornheiser's Cartel: Memphis made what was one of the most puzzling draft day moves in turning two tangible assets, Mike Miller and Kevin Love (who was drafted at a position of extreme need), into a fruit juice condiment (bad joke #1). There was also a bunch of trash traded both ways, but the real treat for Memphis was obviously Mayo. How was Mayo a better fit for the team than Love when most of Memphis's production and prospects were already located in the backcourt and on the wings?

3 Shades of Blue: What Chris Wallace has been trying to do is accumulate talent, no matter what position that happens to be at. That’s why we have 2 PG’s, 3 combo guards, 1 true SF, 2 rookie C’s and a gigantic question mark at PF on the roster at this point. That’s what he has told us – and I believe it to be true.

Now, to be fair, I was firmly seated at the front of the Kevin Love bandwagon, dating back to December of last year. I wanted him on this team and that continued to be true…right up until we interviewed Marc Iavaroni last week, who told us that Love has bad knees that absolutely terrified some people within the organization. Kevin Love’s perceived upside is that of a poor man’s Elton Brand. O.J. Mayo’s upside is…what? Have we determined that yet? This is a league that is predominantly driven by star power. O.J. Mayo is a potential star, while Kevin Love is not. Mike Miller is a solid player and a fine human being. But he is also best served as the #3 option on a playoff team, doesn’t possess a killer instinct and would be in his 30’s when the Grizzlies are ready to return to the postseason. Also, don’t forget that the Grizzlies nabbed Darrell Arthur on draft night as a potential starting PF for the team in a year or two.

But to answer the actual question, there is no way you can say that Mayo is a better roster fit than Miller/Love were, given the team’s needs at the end of last season.


KC: A trade that has been bandied about for some time that may or may not have legs, but probably does considering Chris Wallace is involved, had Mike Conley Jr. being sent to Portland for Travis Outlaw. As a dissociated observer of the Grizzlies, I consider Mike Conley Jr. to be among the top point guard prospects in the game and could very easily see him developing into an All Star. Do Grizz fans not view him as highly? Would Outlaw even start in Memphis? Are you comfortable with Chris Wallace negotiating with Kevin Pritchard? Would you be comfortable with Wallace negotiating with Matt Millen (bad joke #2)?

3SOB: Many fans see Conley in the same light that you do, myself included. I think that he has the talent, potential and skillset to be one of the top PG’s in the game in a few years. Others think that Kyle Lowry outplayed him last year, with one of my co-bloggers included in that grouping. Still others think that O.J. Mayo’s real position in the NBA is at PG, so we should get something for Conley while he’s all stardust and potential – before the rest of the league figures out that he’s just an average point guard. I firmly believe that young PG’s need at least 3 years in the league before you truly know what you have. I point to Tony Parker, Steve Nash and Chauncey Billups as examples of that.

Travis Outlaw would back up Rudy Gay, which means that he’s only getting 10-14 mpg, unless he’s going to be playing PF for some reason. That’s an awful return for a potential starting PG.

I’m 100% comfortable with Chris Wallace negotiating with any GM in the NBA. Normally, I would have left the diabolical duo of R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich off that list, but after the Luis Scola debacle from last year, even they don’t scare me anymore. I would prefer that Chris stick to his strongest area, which is drafting, but trades and free agency are just as important, so he’d better be on the phone with other GM’s and agents quite a bit, too.


KC: In my look at Memphis, I actually painted a peachy picture of their future if they spend money next offseason. I've received some negative feedback to that piece (as you'll see in an email exchange I'll post between myself and the lead writer of Hardwood Paroxysm). My suggestion that they target BJ Mullens in the draft next offseason (assuming he comes in and goes Beast Mode all over the Big Ten with averages of something like 19, 11, and 3 blocks) received the most paroxysmic reaction. What do you see as Memphis's biggest need in the future? If you agree with me that it is a rebounding post force, how would you view the Grizzlies going after Carlos Boozer next offseason?

3SOB: I do see interior scoring and rebounding as the most pressing need for the future – unless Darrell Arthur really surprises me. It’s funny that you should mention Carlos Boozer, since we’ve been having discussion about him on the Grizzlies Official Message Boards for quite some time now. I think that he would be almost 100% perfect in filling that need – even though most of the pundits have him heading to Miami instead, which makes no sense to me given that Michael Beasley’s future is at PF. The only other player I would prefer next offseason would be the pipedream of a trade for Amare Stoudemire as he sits on the cusp of a potential contract year with a player option for 2010/11. As I said, that is probably just a fantasy, whereas we know that Boozer will go where the money is.


KC: Rudy Gay is a freak. Jay Mariotti wouldn't even argue that, and he argues everything (fact). How crushed were you when Atlanta matched the Grizzlies contract offer to fellow frontcourt freak Josh Smith? Assuming Gay's meteoric rise continues, does he deserve to be a max player?

3SOB: I wasn’t crushed because I fully expected it to be matched. I knew that we didn’t have enough room under the cap to sign him to a contract big enough to keep the Hawks from matching, so I didn’t set myself up for the disappointment that others felt. With that said, watching Marc Gasol or Darko throw an outlet pass to Conley who has Smith and Rudy cutting to the basket while Mayo camps out behind the 3-point line would have been a thing of absolute poetry.

I think Rudy is a fantastic talent who is going to continue to get better. If he raises his production from last year and plays better defense, then I believe that he will command a max level contract extension when the time comes. As for whether or not he deserves it, that’s a two part answer.

1. He deserves it in terms of market level compensation.
2. He doesn’t deserve it (yet) in terms of being a Superstar.

KC: Will the Grizzlies bench miss Brian Cardinal :( ?

3SOB: Not when they have Marko Jaric bringing his lovely fiancée and her Victoria’s Secret friends around, they won’t. ;^)

KC: Suppose the Kings call tomorrow and offer Brad Miller for the European Sensation Darko Milicic and Crittenton. Deal or no deal?

3SOB: No deal! At this point, I don’t know that I would give either of them for a 32-year old PF/C who has been missing games left and right his entire career. I love Miller’s game and would have welcomed him with open arms prior to the Pau Gasol trade, but this team is too far away from being playoff competitive for him to make a marked difference. Of course, I’m one of the few suckers that thinks that Darko actually belongs in the league still.

KC: More Valuable (Sometimes Former) Grizzly:

KC: Mike Bibby or Jason Williams?

3SOB: Even though I think that Bibby is the better overall player, I have to give the nod to Whit E. Boy, given that he was there for two playoff seasons and Bibby topped out at 23 wins in his best season with the Grizzlies.

KC: Shareef Abdur-Rahim or Pau Gasol?

3SOB: In this one, I think that Gasol is both the better player and the more valuable, as he was the centerpiece for the 3 postseason appearances with the Grizzlies. ‘Reef had better stats, but they were achieved in the midst of largely meaningless seasons, which is unfortunate.

KC: Jerry West or Mike Fratello?

3SOB: Mike Fratello’s success was built upon what Hubie Brown instilled in a young team when he taught them how to win. Jerry West made the decision to hire both of them, as well as acquiring Mike Miller, James Posey, Bonzi Wells, Rudy Gay and Kyle Lowry during his tenure. West changed the entire demeanor of a downtrodden organization, so IMO, he was much more valuable.

KC: Grizz or Chris Wallace?

3SOB: This is a tough one – although not because Wallace is a bad GM, as you’d like to think. We got to see what life was like without a mascot last season, as Grizz underwent treatments for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. When other teams sent their mascots in from time to time throughout the season, it made a noticeable difference in the attitude throughout the FedExForum. But, I have to give the nod to Chris Wallace, who has acquired Conley, Mayo, Crittenton, Marc Gasol, Darrell Arthur, Darko and an additional 2010 draft pick. This team needed to upgrade its talent level more than anything else and Wallace has worked hard to do that in the year that he has been on the job.

KC: Who would you rather have for the next ten years:
OJ Mayo or Rudy Gay?

3SOB: Surprisingly, I’d probably rather have O.J. Mayo, even though I was down on him prior to the draft. O.J.’s maturity and leadership, coupled with his talent, drive to succeed and killer instinct push him ahead of Rudy in my mind, even though I have yet to see him play a single NBA game yet. To be honest, I’m as astounded by that admission as anyone.

KC: The Grizzlies 2009 1st round pick (3rd overall hypothetically), Kyle Lowry, and Hakim Warrick or BJ Mullens?

3SOB: Tough call. Mullens hasn’t really been a dominating presence thus far, and the knock on him is that he takes plays off on both ends of the court. Of course, that was the same negative that people threw out there about Rudy Gay before he got drafted too. If Mullens puts it all together, then he could be a force in the NBA for the next decade. If he doesn’t, then he could be another Kwame Brown or Michael Olowokandi. Who wants that decision, when you could select Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio or Demar DeRozan at the #3 spot? You take the best player available (always my position when assessing lottery picks) and if he doesn’t fit your roster needs, then you make trades to balance out the issue. So – one year out from the next draft – I’ll take the top 3 pick and two quality players over the questionable big man.

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An In-Depth Q&A With Pacers Blogger Indy Cornrows

Indy Cornrows has been rated the top Indiana Pacers blog as recently as last week by Yahoo's NBA blog Ball Don't Lie.

Kornheiser's Cartel, in an effort to spread baller ball insight to the web, jumped at the chance to pick the brain of the premier NBA blogger of their native state.

Here's the oft-rambling (my questions), oft-succinct (his replies) result of our discourse on the present and future of the Pacers.

Make sure to head over to www.IndyCornrows.com when you're done reading.

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Kornheiser's Cartel: First things first, Indiana's offseason... I personally thought the signing of former Purdue guard David Teague to the Pacers Summer League squad was inspired by the ghost of Red Auerbach. Unfortunately, I'm drooling all over my keyboard at the mere thought of it and think it best to just move on while it's still functional. I also vaguely remember hearing that the Pacers parted with "franchise" player Jermaine O'Neal. The compensation: T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston, and a first-round pick that became Roy Hibbert. What did you think of the compensation? Did they have to trade Jermaine O'Neal? Was Hibbert the right pick at number 17?

Indy Cornrows: Honestly, the compensation for dealing J.O. was secondary so I'm pretty happy with the new players from Toronto. T.J. Ford was the critical piece and obviously a risk with his health history, but he will be fun to watch and keep the pace moving this year. The Pacers definitely had to trade J.O. since his salary was eating up a third of the salary cap, and he didn't want to be here, let alone play at a level worthy of the third highest paid play in the league. Plus, he didn't get along with Larry Bird, so you had the two strongest personalities in the franchise at odds which didn't help the atmosphere in the locker room.

I'm pretty optimistic about Hibbert and his ability to develop into a solid defensive presence for future Pacer teams. He's a mature player who's had access to some outstanding big man resources at Georgetown. Oh, and he's 7'2"!

KC: The other major trade involving the Pacers this offseason was the draft night deal of Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu for Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack, and Josh McRoberts. A lot of people felt Indiana turned a Powerball Jackpot into a new car. They still came away with a nice package of players, but many views the fortunate freefall of Bayless akin to what happened when Danny Granger fell to the Pacers in the 2005 draft. Bayless went on to dominate the Summer League (not a certifiable projection of greatness, but a nice sign)... so, how do you view this deal now with three months hindsight? Brandon Rush's numbers actually fell a bit every year at Kansas; What do you see his potential being in the NBA? Do you see Josh McRoberts ever playing significant minutes for the Pacers?

IC: The thing that still bugs me about the Bayless deal is that I have never heard a definitive reason for why Bayless dropped in the draft. With Granger, he had knee issues. But for Bayless, it couldn't be just because he wasn't a true point guard because Russell Westbrook and Eric Gordon are both combo guards and they went before Bayless. He has some sick game, no doubt, but is he a can't miss player? I see his upside falling somewhere between Dwyane Wade and Ben Gordon. Pretty nice neighborhood, but remember, the Pacers flipped him for two players..

Ike Diogu was not in Jim O'Brien's plans, so in essence the deal cleared some dead wood while adding a solid back up point guard along with a nice player in Brandon Rush. The key for Rush is knocking down shots and playing defense. He obviously showed he can come up big when the bright lights of the big stage on on him. But early in his career he'll have a role as a support player for the Pacers and his skill set seems perfect for JOB's system.

As for McRoberts, I don't expect him to contribute much at all for the Pacers. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he was released. Actually I would be surprised because he's been doing so much work in the community for the Pacers this summer they almost have to at least keep him on the inactive roster. I'd love it if his game suddenly matured and he was able to earn some minutes, but I certainly don't expect that will happen.

With both deals this summer, the Pacers were able to jump start their effort to change the direction of the franchise. To overhaul a team you need assets in the form of draft picks, young talent and cap flexibility. The Pacers were able to gather some young talent and improved their cap situation. They're not where the want to be but they are moving in the right direction.


KC: As far as McRoberts is concerned, I watched him play Greg Oden his senior year of high school and felt it preposterous that people considered him the future number one overall pick in the draft. His time at Duke proved me right, but I think he can definitely be a good big man in the NBA. This despite me not being a fan at all. Remember, he'd still be a senior in college had he stayed with the Blue Devils. He's 6'10", 240 pounds, he can pass really well for a big, he has a high motor and battles for boards, and he can hit out to 15 feet. Another Jeff Foster? I thought picking him up as a throw-in in the draft day deal was good business. Time will tell if his presence ever matters. But if Brian Scalabrine can last in the League...

From reading your blog, I can tell that you're a big Danny Granger fan. You're on record urging Larry Bird to get a deal done before this season in the five year, $60 million range. I like the sound of that, he's great, let's lock him up. But I do have a few slight reservations both with his current lack of an extension and with him as the Pacers star. Assuming T.J. Ford comes in and pushes the pace this season, could Granger average 25 points a game? If so, how much extra would that cost the Pacers next offseason? Do you think that a team with Danny Granger as its best player could ever advance even as far as the second round of the playoffs?

IC: Well, I am a fan of Danny Granger the person. He's really emerged as a great personality this offseason and keeping track of his activities has been fun. As for his game, I acknowledge his game is not yet complete and any extension comes with a risk since he hasn't consistently produced for an 82 game season. With the current market, I think 5 years at $60 mil is reasonable, but it also comes with a risk for both sides. I don't think Granger could carry a team through the playoffs next year but with the right pieces around him he could certainly play a leading role in years to come.

After the J.O. debacle and the reality of attracting free agents to Indy, I can't see maxing out Granger after this initial extension. The team has to stay agile and avoid clogging up their cap.

KC: I was cruising around some NBA forums, and I've seen general fans not only don't believe the Pacers will make the playoffs this season, but think they could have the worst record in the NBA. Which would be more ideal this season... 45 wins, but first-round playoff exit or worst record and win the top pick overall? And how many wins do you think the team as currently aligned is prepared to win?

IC: Actually I would jump at the chance for 45 wins this year even if it meant a first round exit. With all the young talent in place, 45 wins would be a nice foundation to build upon. Just looking around the Eastern Conference and the improved depth of teams contending for the playoffs this year, I think hitting the 40 win mark would be a solid season for this team and somewhere between 35-38 is more reasonable. A player or two will have to step up out of nowhere and contribute big time to improve that outlook. That puts the Pacers on the edge of playoff contention which leads to your second scenario of going for the top pick. Next year's draft seems to be the Ricky Rubio sweepstakes and then a plateau of talent after him. The way the lottery dishes out luck it just isn't worth dumping a full season, in my opinion. Play hard, develop the young guys and let the wins fall where they may.


KC: As you know, I was enthused by the rumors of a trade between the Pacers and Warriors that would ship Jamaal Tinsley and Marquis Daniels out and bring back Al Harrington. Haven't heard much lately on that. Sigh. Will Tinsley ever suit up for the Pacers again? If not, do you see him being cut or traded? And how many stints will Harrington play with Indiana!?

IC: Sounds like Chris Mullen has come to his senses and decided not to reunite the Club Rio Trio. It's a shame, really. The suitors seem to be drying up for Tinsley at this point but I can't see him playing or even suiting up for the Pacers this year. He wants out as much as the Pacers want him out. I love Tinsley's game when he's in the right frame of mind so there are teams out there that could use him, but at this point he's a PR risk which woud require a GM with some stones to face down a fan backlash. As for Harrington, only under the above scenario could I imagine him in the blue and gold again. I love the guy, but his game just never developed to be as big time as I hoped or he thinks it is. I've always thought Al would've benefitted from playing a couple of years at a big time college where he would be put in pressure situations leading a team on TV with crazy fans yelling in the arena. After sitting for a few years waiting for a big role in the NBA he seemed to get a little hyper in those big moments.


KC: More Valuable Former Pacer:
Mark Jackson or Rik Smits? Gotta go Smits, he was such a key cog once his offensive game developed.
Antonio or Dale Davis? I'll stick with Dale for consistency, although I would've loved to have played the Lakers in the Finals with AD.
Travis Best or Sam Perkins? Big Smooth for serving different roles off the bench, plus Best's dribble is still pounding in my head.
Reggie Miller or Donnie Walsh? Reggie made Donnie Walsh a legendary GM and made Pacers basketball a must-see event. 31, no doubt.

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