[Ghost]

they need to trade one in my mind who would trade. I would trade mercer to clippers for cory maggitey.

 

[R-Star]

why would we trade a guy who can play the 2 or 3 for another guy who can play the 2 or 3? That solves nothing and Maggety is not as good as any of the players you mentioned.

 

[Sir I Gotta Go]

Maggette is better than Mercer:yes: But Maggette has more trade value than Mercer. Clipps would not except Mercer for Maggette:no:

 

[R-Star]

Your trying to say RIGHT NOW he is better? Theres no possible way you could justify that. Mercer has finished developing though and will be the same until he starts to get old. Maggette on the other hand still has to develope some. Mercer put up better numbers last season, hands down.

 

[Crossword]

I'd take Maggette over Mercer, but I don't think the Pacers should trade any of those 3 right now. Once Miller retires, whether it be in 2, 3, 5 years, and in the season(s) before that, they're going to get much more PT, and so are Bender and Harrington. The Pacers have a lot of depth in the 2 & 3 positions, there's no reason to get rid of it, unless it's for cap clearing for an All Star IMO.

 

[R-Star]

Cleaning house

Here are the guys who play either the 2 the 3 or both on our team. Reggie, Mercer, Jones, Artest, Bender, Harrington, Croshere. 7 players to slit playing time between 2 possitions. Croshere obviously has to go, but so does one or two other guys. Artest has the starters job on the bulls and proved he was a ok player but a great defender, one of the best. Harrington and Bender havent got the chance to have a full time starters job so we dont know how they would do. Harrington was leading the 6th man award before he was injured. So I dont think he would be a liability as a starter. Bender could be an allstar but needs consistend minutes, Zeke would give him 20 minutes one game and he would produce, only to end up with 4 minutes the next game because he doesnt know how to coach. I think we should give the starters role to Harrington, and have Bender come off the bench, only because Artests contract is up after this season and I cant see him staying, so might as well keep bender. If there isnt a good trade for mercer, then keep him too. Here the lineup

Tinsley/Hardaway? (Hope so)
Miller/Mercer/Jones
Harrington/Bender/Mercer
O'neal/Foster/Harrington
Miller/Foster/Bresec

What do you guys think? I know there are alot of Artest fans in here, Im one of them. But Bender needs time to play to develope. Dont forget we traded Antonio Davis to get him, and we havent even given him a real chance. If we keep Artest its only for a year, might as well get while the gettings good.

 

[R-Star]

Forgot to proof read that. Sorry about the spelling mistakes.

 

[Crossword]

Artest needs to say, Bender needs to go.

The Pacers need to do a cap-clearing move for the 2003 offseason. Something along the lines of Bender and Chroshere for a mid-to-late 1st rounder or an early 2nd rounder.

 

[R-Star]

Bender makes rookie money, no need for him to go. Bender won't be traded, you can count on it. If they get rid of Croshere and/or Mercer they are fine to resign their free agents.

 

[Crossword]

Originally posted by R-Star
Bender makes rookie money, no need for him to go. Bender won't be traded, you can count on it. If they get rid of Croshere and/or Mercer they are fine to resign their free agents.

No team will take Mercer and Croshere for a 1st rounder, early, mid, or late. They're just not worth it. However, if you throw in Bender, who has a lot of potential, then you might get a deal from a re-building team with a late pick, like Denver had the #25 pick this year (I think it was 25). And let's face it, Bender hasn't done much, specially in the playoffs. He has no fundamentals whatsoever either. He's a project, nothing more.

 

[Sir I Gotta Go]

Yes, but he is 21 and he does have a 40 inch vertical...

 

[Crossword]

Originally posted by Malakian
Yes, but he is 21 and he does have a 40 inch vertical...

I don't care if he has a 40 inch vertical or an 80 inch vertical. Fact is he can't play. The Pacers are making the playoffs and re-building at the same time. But what do you want to do in the playoffs? WIN! And you can't win with a player who just sits around jacking up 3s and dunking, and that is exactly what Johnathan Bender does. You don't win a championship with projects. There are much better young players than Bender, hell you don't have to look far either. Jerm O'Neal is a perfect example. While players like O'Neal, Artest, Tinsley, and Brad Miller keep on gaining valuable experience from the playoffs, and actually contributing to the team, Bender will just keep on rotting on the bench come playoff time.

 

[R-Star]

Artest is out, Bender is in

Bender is on the bench because Zeke is and idiot and can't coach and because we have 4 sf's. Artests contract has one more year. It would be smarter to package him than with Bender. You probably were saying the same thing about Jermaine when he was in portland, almost everyone was. Then look what happens when he gets the opportunity to play, he becomes an all star 2 years later. Bender is a 7'0 small forward who can play the 2 as well. He can shoot 3's and dunk on anyone in the league. Find another player of his height that can do that. There arent too many. Artest is out, Bender is in.