01-31-2006, 08:52 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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Lover Not A Fighter...
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Silk City, Jersey...
Age: 28
Posts: 5,819
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With Peja, Without J.O., How Will Team Change???...
Quote:
With Peja, Without J.O., How Will Team Change?
Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006
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QUESTION
OF THE DAY
Conrad Brunner
Q. Whew! The Ron Artest saga is finally over in Indy. Now it appears that we have another scoring threat in Peja Stojakovic. I heard that the Pacers brass, Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird, said this team will run a more up-tempo style of offense with Peja on the squad. Will Rick Carlisle change his offense for one player? Or will he change his offense because of Peja, coupled with the fact that Jermaine O'Neal is out for an extended period of time? (From Travis in Lapel, Ind.)
A. There will be an alteration in style due to a combination of circumstances. Even if the Stojakovic deal had not gone through, the loss of O'Neal for at least eight weeks with a groin tear would've forced Carlisle to make some changes. The original offense, frankly, was built around O'Neal's ability to change the way defenses play the Pacers. Without that primary low-post threat, the Pacers have little choice but to change gears.
It's much the same scenario as the team faced twice last season, first in the immediate aftermath of the suspensions when O'Neal was thought to be out for 25 games (his punishment was later reduced to 15), and again in March and April when he went down with a shoulder injury. In that second absence, when the team had more available personnel, the Pacers went 15-7 and averaged 95.5 points. They were 29-31 and averaged 92.1 points in all other games. So there is some evidence to suggest they can adjust well to this style.
The acquisition of Stojakovic should help in a number of ways, offensively, because he is used to carrying a large share of the offensive burden and should transfer well into that role here. Stojakovic and Stephen Jackson give the Pacers two strong scorers that can be relied upon consistently, while Fred Jones, Austin Croshere and possibly Danny Granger can be counted upon to provide complementary support.
Carlisle has returned some of the plays used for Reggie Miller to the offense because Stojakovic fits a similar profile as a catch-and-shoot player. But there are differences the Pacers hope to exploit. Where Miller was most effective moving without the ball, Stojakovic is good with the ball in his hands and is also a skilled passer. Miller rarely ventured into the post, but Stojakovic has some game facing the basket in the mid-post area (a step outside the lane between the block and the free-throw line).
The next few weeks are going to be a journey of discovery. We'll not only learn a lot about Stojakovic, but about the team's ability to adapt and move forward, mentally and physically.
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Go PaCeRs!!!!
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With Peja, Without J.O., How Will Team Change???...
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