Like the 2013 Philadelphia 76ers, the Indiana Pacers are in a tough spot. They have a star player and some young talent, but their ceiling isn’t high.
In the 2012-13 season, the Philadelphia 76ers had an All-Star in Jrue Holiday, an exciting young second overall pick in Evan Turner, a solid injured center in Andrew Bynum waiting in the wings, and the always reliable Thad Young as a leader in the locker room.
The Indiana Pacers have one of the best wings in basketball in Paul George, a young star in Myles Turner, a solid point guard in Jeff Teague, and the always reliable Thad Young as a leader in the locker room. See some parallels?
This might be a hot take, but the Pacers should blow it up. Paul George clearly doesn’t want to be there, and if he keeps verbally punching his teammates in the face in press conferences, the chemistry of the team will only get worse. They have the exciting Myles Turner to build around, and once he is able to produce consistently on offense, he could be a top-five center in the NBA.
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Paul George’s trade value is dropping by the day. Whether he’s bashing a teammate or bricking a game-winner, his lack of production and leadership could be worrying for potential trade partners. That’s why Larry Bird should ship him out as soon as he can, likely to the Los Angeles Lakers. If the ex-Celtic can get a first-round pick or two and a couple of young stars such as Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell, or Jordan Clarkson in return, then the Pacers will have a good, young core to lead them towards the top of the Eastern Conference.
If the petulant Bird decides to sacrifice his pride and competitive streak for the greater good of his franchise, then he will try to copy the Philadelphia 76ers’ Process as close as he can. Sam Hinkie is available, and Bird should try and persuade him to move from his Paolo Alto Starbucks to the midwest.
The Sixers fleeced the New Orleans Pelicans on draft night, trading Jrue Holiday for Nerlens Noel and the first-round pick that became Dario Saric in the summer of 2013. A season and a half later, they dealt Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams for a protected Lakers first-round pick that will convey for this draft if not in the top three picks. If that’s any indication for the Pacers, then Larry Bird should be able to get an even better return for George.
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Another incentive for the Pacers to go into full-on rebuild mode is the fact that they have more tradable assets on their roster than the 2012/13 Sixers did. Aside from George, Bird can get a good return for Jeff Teague, Al Jefferson, C.J. Miles, and maybe even Monta Ellis and Lance Stephenson if they play well leading up to next season’s trade deadline.
George is certainly the type of player that can help lead a team to a championship, but he needs to mature. Given the fact that it’s been rather obvious that he wants to get out of Indiana, it’s best for the Pacers to grant his wish or surround him with superstars. Going into next season, they’ll have $43 million in cap space, so they could be major players in free agency. The main issue is location and the fact that they’re currently stuck in basketball purgatory: good enough to make the playoffs, but not good enough to come close to contending.
As the early-2010s Oklahoma City Thunder and the current Golden State Warriors have proven, building through the draft is the best way to go. The Pacers need to realize that, and if Larry Bird refuses to rebuild, then they should look for someone more forward-thinking to lead the rebuild. If they don’t sacrifice the next few years with the hopes of winning their first championship since 1973, which was an ABA title, then they will be stuck in the middle for a while.
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The Sixers were the same way once Allen Iverson left, and now the team is primed to make a playoff run once their young stars get healthy. In order to build the quality of a weak Eastern Conference in the long-run, the Pacers should take a page out of the Philadelphia 76ers’ book.