Giant Grudge? Analyzing the Pacers 2019 Draft

Goga Bitadze. Photo Credit: Matt Kryger/Indy Star.

On Thursday night, with the 18th overall pick in the NBA draft, the Pacers selected center Goga Bitadze from Georgia (the country, not the state/college). Since their second round pick was traded for future draft picks (possibly) that leaves Bitadze as their only pick of the night, which makes my analyzing of their draft a lot easier.

Heading into the draft, I was hoping they picked someone who could help protect the rim, and they did just that, but also from what I was able to see, he's much more than a rim protector, he's someone who could help on both ends of the floor.

At 6-11, weighing about 250, He's a throw-back big man who likes to post up, but has the range and enough explosion to get up and down the floor as today's big man. One of the things most scouts and analysts were impressed with was his hands and footwork. Another impression I get from him is that he seems to be a team-oriented guy, which is also a must on this team.

Welcome to Indiana, Goga.

After the draft, Kevin Pritchard-- paraphrasing here-- mentioned that he was surprised that Goga fell to them at No. 18. From my understanding, Goga himself thought he would be off the board sooner. Although "Pritch" mentioned that he was one of the top 10 prospects on their draft board, it was said that prior to the draft, the Pacers didn't call him in for a workout because they didn't think he would be available to them that late in the draft.

I didn't catch wind of the media fail Bitadze had recently (pictured below) until Thursday night when I did some research on him. Media reporters fled to eventual first overall pick Zion Williamson, leaving Bitadze sitting by himself. He said of the photo: "It just makes me more hungry." 

Use it as stepping stones, my friend. Photo Credit: Fletcher Mackel/Twitter.

Of course, there are critics and fans who viewed it as a "weird pick," and bellyaching about them already having Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis. Well, to me, and I think Pritch already alluded to this, it was a best-player-available move, a situation where a player is too good to pass up-- or at least taking the risk of passing him up. Again, he was a guy they didn't think would be available to them that late.

As far as the Turner, Sabonis situation, there's some speculation that the Pacers might move one of them. It's possible because despite Pritchard's convictions of keeping all three players, guys in his position like to use smoke and mirrors. As I thought about that situation later that night, I was thinking Turner and Sabonis can both play the center and power forward positions-- although I like Sabonis better at the 5 (center position)-- so it looks like they're looking at starting Turner and Sabonis in the frontcourt, bringing Bitadze off the bench for the time being, leaving Thaddeus Young as the odd man out.

As for me, I like the pick. I liked what I saw from him, having an in and outside game, and being able to protect the rim. Some compared him to Nikola Vucevic, but he reminded me of Sabonis, except he's a better shot blocker. I have a feeling that this young man is going to use the brush-off and naysaying as motivation. I think he's going to come in with a huge chip on his shoulder. The young man comes off as a gentle giant, but he may have a giant grudge on the league. 

Clean Sweep: The Nightmare is Finally Over

Courtesy of Getty Images.

When Victor Oladipo went down with a ruptured quad back in February, I started looking towards next season, but at the same time, I was interested to see how well the team would do without him. I saw mixed results. Frustrating, mixed results.

I realized he is undoubtedly the Pacers best player, and losing him (for the season) was a crushing blow, but I also saw how the team rallied and made it work without him when he was out for 11 of the 36 total games he played, finishing 7-4 in that span. They had a cast of young talent and depth. However, there is a big difference between losing him for 11 games, and losing him for the rest of the season-- and it showed.

The team went up and down ever since. It was as if they were snake bitten, losing players left and right, particularly key players like (Domantas) Sabonis for a short period of time. The offense suffered tremendously. They couldn't score with a Kardashian even with the addition of Wesley Matthews, who was inconsistent at best.

By season's end, they went from the 3rd seed to the 5th seed, their same seed last year, and finished 48-34, the same record as last year. Okay, considering Vic wasn't there for most of the season, this was actually admirable. *Sigh* Then came the playoffs. Going into the first round against the Celtics, I had mixed thoughts.

Due to the fact that Indiana had some depth despite Vic, and seeing that Boston themselves somewhat underachieved in the regular season, a part of me thought that gave them a chance, depending which Pacers team showed up, which leads me to the other part of me. The other part that wasn't so optimistic was thinking the Pacers had an up and down season without Vic, plus, I factored in politics.

What do I mean by that, you ask? Well, Celtics guard Kyrie Irving, by most would be considered a "star," and everything is about the "stars," who the people want to see versus letting these guys compete, but I digress.

To tell you the truth, I didn't even watch that BS, and with good reason. Checking the scoreboard after each game, the Pacers was swept by the Celtics, but in a way that was a good thing, which leads me to today's topic. That embarrassing defeat means the nightmare season is finally over, and I'm hoping the Pacers get Vic some help-- some solid, sufficient help-- this off-season, and stop being cheap, bringing in players who are adequate at best and playing this by-committee stuff on the court.

They don't have to be "stars"-- you don't have to be a "star" to have talent, plus I understand Indiana isn't a big market town-- but surround this man with some solid talent. I've been saying this since last off-season; two major reasons being one man can't do it alone, and just in case he suffers an injury that will put him out for a while or a season-ending injury, the team can still thrive and be able to compete. I don't think it's a good idea to have a team dependent on one person, anyway.

Personally, I say blow the team up. The only ones I would keep is Vic (of course), Domantas Sabonis, I wouldn't mind if they brought Bojan Bogdanovic back, and I want to see what becomes of Aaron Holiday. The rest of them are either expendable or GTFOH.

You know, I once asked someone who their favorite basketball team was, and he replied that he didn't have a favorite team, he just liked certain players. I've been sitting on that thought for a while now, and I'm considering taking that same approach. We'll see. For now, I'm glad the nightmare is finally over.

NBA MIP: Victor Oladipo

Victor Oladipo. Photo by Kevin Winter, Getty Images, Turner Sports

"I’m going to take my game to the next level. There’s no trying. I’m not going to try. I’m going to take my game to the next level..."

-Victor Oladipo

Last night, Victor Oladipo won the award for the 2017-18 NBA Most Improved Player. About four months ago, I made a case for him winning the league's MVP, as he put up MVP numbers. He finished the season averaging 23 points, 5 boards, 4 assists, and 2.5 steals, in which he led the league. He made the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and the All-NBA Third Team.

The other candidates for the award were the Houston Rockets' Clint Capela, and the Brooklyn Nets' Spencer Dinwiddie. No disrespect to those guys, they both stepped up their games from their previous years, which is why they were considered for the award, but Vic was a no-brainer here. Actually, the case I've stated in the above paragraph is enough to prove my point, but I'll continue.

Slam dunk on LeBron. Lovely capture.

Overall, it was a team effort, but Vic was the main source of the Pacers turnaround and awe-inspiring overachievement. I mean, to hear the "analysts," and "experts" tell it, they weren't even supposed to make the playoffs, nevertheless win 48 games last season, and it was mostly due to Vic's initiative to embrace the responsibility of putting the team on his back, making Indiana perhaps the most improved team.

There's still some rough spots that need to be smoothed out (i.e.limiting turnovers), and the work to make this team a dynasty is far from complete, but, as I've alluded to before, if he maintains the team mindset-- not becoming a "diva"-- while continuing to elevate his game, the sky's the limit for this young man, and the Pacers could have their first championship sooner rather later. I'm definitely pushing for sooner.

Happy Holiday: Analyzing the Pacers Draft

Aaron Holiday.

I didn't watch the NBA Draft last night-- I haven't for years-- but I did keep up a little online. Honestly, the reasons I kept up online was to see if any major trades would go down, particularly if Indiana made any, and to keep tabs on the Pacers' picks. It saddens me to say this being more of a basketball person than football in comparison, but similar to their draft, I hardly watch any of the games anymore, either. This trend of players monopolizing on one team, taking the easy route to win championships, and/or wanting to play with their "best friend(s)" or else is ridiculous. The only team is avidly keep up with is the Pacers, but I digress.

Speaking of Indy, let me start with my analysis on their picks. Last night, with the 23rd pick overall in the first round, the Indiana Pacers selected point guard Aaron Holiday out of UCLA, the alma mater of the great Reggie Miller, I might add. As one fan alluded to, Pacers President Kevin Pritchard seems to have an affinity for UCLA players. He acquired Darren Collison and drafted TJ Leaf last off-season; this year he drafted Holiday, but again, I digress.

Photo Credit: Scott Threlkeld, Associate Press

Pritchard said that he saw another Darren Collison when he watched Holiday, but from reading the scouting reports and watching tape on him, I actually saw someone else: Victor Oladipo. The more I watched, the more I saw Vic-- pros and cons.

They're both two-way guards, meaning that they play on the offense and defensive end (effectively and consistently), the subtle way they draw contact, the way they use screens and picks for an open shot, as well as the ability to create their own shot. They're both team-oriented and are willing passers. With Aaron being a point guard, I would like to see him orchestrate the offense and facilitate more than shoot, unlike most point guards today. I guess I'm old fashioned, but I have problem with my starting point guard averaging only or a little over 5 assists per game.

Post-draft night press conference. Photo by Matt Kryger, Indy Star

The one major con that I've noticed with Vic and Aaron is the turnover issues, one that I'm hoping will be corrected sooner rather than later. With their work ethic and desire to get better, there's no doubt in my mind they both will correct the problem. The only differences I see between these two is Aaron is smaller, and not quite as explosive. Going back to Pritch's comparison-- not that Darren is a bad comparison or player-- but to me, only the thing(s) Aaron have in common with him is size and they attended the same school.

With the 50th pick in the second round, they drafted forward Alize Johnson from Missouri State. Quick side note: Not trying to be funny, but when I hear a name like Alize Johnson, it sounds more like one of a 68 inch butt adult film star than a basketball player. Also, he has a striking resemblance to Jimmy Butler (of the Minnesota Timberwolves). Anyway, from what I've watched and read, he's a little undersized, but I like his grit and energy. He plays bigger than he is.

Alize Johnson (24), Photo by Andrew Jansen, News-Leader

Although there was initial talk that from Pritchard that he might not see the floor this season due to some refinement needed in his game (which I've noticed myself, he's very raw) however, I beg to differ on Pritch's speculation because of what I've stated previously about his grit and energy. I would not be surprised if  he's heavily a part of the rotation this season. It's difficult to keep guys like him off the floor.

He's a high motor, all-out effort player. He's a monster on the boards, and does the little things that may not always show up on the stat sheet. He fits the team mindset and concept (definitely the blue collar aspect of it) that the Pacers are looking for in players-- aside from talent, obviously. When speaking of Holiday, Pritchard said that one of the things he admired was his toughness; he mentioned that they worked out a lot of talented guys, but they scratched some players off their list because they lacked toughness, which Johnson is loaded with himself.

He handles the ball well; he has a low post game, and he has range. His offense overall is not pretty, but it's effective. As I've mentioned earlier he's bit undersized, and could get pushed around by bigger players. His jump shot is streaky, and he has a tendency to force shots in the low post. All in all, he reminds a little of Thaddeus Young, with a Ben Wallace/Bo Outlaw type of hustle. I see him primarily as a small forward at the next level, but in some instances, with the emphasis being placed on stretch fours (power forwards, typically smaller PFs) he could get away with playing some power forward. If he bulks up, he could very well play the stretch four position quite often.

Welcome to Indiana, fellas!

Conclusion

Although I was hoping they would've addressed the draft (the first round, in particular) with a big man, particularly one who would help protect the rim, I like the picks in Holiday and Johnson. The more I read and watched, the more I liked what I saw-- for the most part. I would not be surprised if both of these guys see the floor often this season as rookies.

Franchise Players: Which Guy is Your Go-To Guy?

Reggie Miller (31), Danny Granger (33), Paul George (13), Victor Oladipo (4)

A post that I've seen recently from a Pacers' Fan Group on Facebook asked a hypothetical question: who would you rather have on your team in their prime out of Reggie Miller, Danny Granger, Paul George, and most recently Victor Oladipo? It expanded upon a similar question that crossed my mind last year on who would I pick between Reggie Miller and Paul George. By the way, my answer at that time was Reggie, hands down, which I will explain shortly.

My pick out of the four of them is...again, Reggie Miller. This may sound bias, being that he is my favorite NBA player of all time (Reggie is 1a.; Larry Bird is 1b.) however, that's not the reason I would pick him. Granted, the other three have more complete games in terms of their skill set; Granger, George, and Vic could/can all fill up a stat sheet. That wasn't Reggie's game; yes, he would get a few broads, a couple of assists and steals here and there, but he was a solidified, bona-fide, pure scorer.

Seeing that the others could score as well-- although not exactly at the rate that Reggie could-- that's still not quite the reason why I would pick Reggie over the others. The reason I would pick Reggie is mainly because he was a better leader. He willed that team to victories like no Pacer I've ever seen, although Vic seems to have a similar quality. As I commented on the Facebook post, he did more with less. He's the only who the only has led the Pacers to an NBA Finals...so far.

Chuck Person, Rik Smits, and Jalen Rose were good complementary scorers, but aside from the team with Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal and company, and the exception of the Danny Granger teams, Reggie never had the talent the other guys had/have-- particularly Paul George. I contend that if Reggie had the talent that George had last year, Indy would've owned the East.

I believe Vic has the potential to change my mind in due time, but he's still in his prime, so the jury's still out on him. This is a breakout season for Vic, but I want to see what does moving forward. As far as the NBA Finals statement that I made above, I hope Vic can change that-- with interest (i.e. NBA Championship).

Stating My Case: Why Victor Oladipo is the NBA MVP

Photo by Tom Szczerbowski- USA Today

In my last post, I talked about the differences between the Pacers this year compared to the last two years-- specifically last year. I briefly went through the new acquisitions, stating why their play has made such a difference on the team. There was one particular player whose name I mentioned, but didn't go into detail on what he has brought to the team so far, and there was a reason for that.

The reason for that was I had a blog in mind specifically for him. No one on the Pacers team has been as productive, awe-inspiring, or surprising as Victor Oladipo, which is why you see the title in this post. Yeah, that's right, I said it. Now, I shall elaborate on why I'm stating my case for him as the 2017-18 NBA MVP.

When you think of an MVP (meaning Most Valuable Player) on a team, logically, one would come to mind who has made a significant impact on his team. Although it is a team game-- I can't emphasize that enough-- he is the primary reason that they're in the position they're in, whether it be for a championship, which is usually the situation, or why a team is a quiet storm that no one saw coming (and possibly move on to win a championship from there). However, I know this is a popularity contest, so more than likely your LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden will dominate the conversations of many.

Yes, these men make a significant impact on their respective teams year in, year out, but none of them as much as the Pacers' Victor Oladipo. For starters, they're (I believe) 1-5 without him, but I can go much further than that. Before I do that, I want to go back to the trade in July that brought Vic to Indiana, and what my thinking was at the time.

As I've mentioned before, initially, I was okay with the deal, and that was based on Victor's ability and (Domantas) Sabonis' potential. A second overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the 2013 draft, I heard of Vic's play in Orlando, but I saw more of him in Oklahoma City. At the time, I thought he was a pretty good second option, but not much more than that. It was said that although he's a pretty good player, he hasn't played up to his draft status. In retrospect, to be fair, he was never given the opportunity to showcase those skills, which brings me back to my case.

When the trade was made, one of my first thoughts was this is a grand opportunity for him to fully put those second-overall-pick skills on display, and like the rest of the team, he has exceeded my expectations. Whether he's hot or cold on game nights, he will contribute in other areas to help the team, he doesn't take plays off. He plays on both ends of the floor (a rare breed, nowadays). He's averaging 24 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4 assists, and two steals per game, all MVP-caliber numbers, but it doesn't stop there.

Trading Places. Oladipo (left), Paul George (right). I'm so glad.

Even with his seemingly overnight stardom, and his willingness to put the team on his back, he has a team mentality. He trusts his teammates and makes the game easier for them, and doesn't make it all about himself. He wants to be here, and help turn this team into a formidable contender for years to come. To paraphrase a statement owner Herb Simon recently made, there's a major difference between someone who doesn't want to be here, and someone who wants to be here.

If he maintains the same team mentality and attitude, not letting the fan fare go to his head, becoming a "diva" like some of these effeminate "superstars" nowadays, and continue to elevate his game, not only do I believe he will be an MVP-caliber player for years to come, but will also be the one to lead the Pacers to their first NBA Championship.

Change of Pace: The Difference Between This Year's Team and Last Year's

Victor Oladipo (4), Darren Collison (2), Lance Stephenson (1), Myles Turner (33), Thaddeus Young (21), and Al Jefferson (25)

What's the difference between this year's Indiana Pacers team and last year's? It's quite simple, actually. They operate within the concept of team. In other words, they play as a team. I could end this blog right now with that, if I wanted to, but I will proceed. Actually, I could include the team from the year before last in this conversation as well. As a matter of fact, let's start there.

That year (2015-16), they had a go-to guy in All-Star Paul George, and a decent supporting cast, such as George Hill, Monta Ellis, who was on the downside of his career, but could still somewhat produce, (when he was healthy) Rodney Stuckey, and an up-and-coming, then-rookie, Myles Turner, who is still growing as a player.

They finished 42-40, 7th seed in the Eastern Conference. To be honest, I thought this team was good enough to make the playoffs, but I wasn't expecting them to make a lot of noise once there. They did give the Toronto Raptors a scare, extending the series to seven games against them, but Toronto advanced in the end, 4-3.

Ironically, the team they had last year had better players on paper, but the chemistry never materialized. They were by far the most disappointing Pacer team I've ever seen. Seeing the moves they were making, I thought they were built to contend with the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, and just knew they would be in the top three in the conference last season, which shows you two things: one, there's no such thing as a sure thing, and two, there are some things money can't buy, and chemistry is one of them.

Then, of course, there was the ordeal over the summer with Paul George-- who was entering the final year of his contract-- wanting out of Indiana, which put them in a bind in terms of what they could do concerning him moving forward. After their sub-par at best season with all of that talent, I was frustrated and tired of the whole thing, and he (George) made it clear that it was time to go, and personally, I couldn't wait for the Pacers to execute a deal and get him the hell out of there.

Then...it happened. On July 6, 2017, Paul George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for SG/PG Victor Oladipo and C/F Domantas Sabonis. Now, I'm sure a lot of Pacers fans wanted Pacers' President Kevin Pritchard's head at the time, but I can honestly say I was not one of them. Sure, I felt that he could've gotten a little more-- a first round pick to go with Vic and Sabonis in particular-- but initially, based on Vic's talent and Sabonis' upside, I viewed it as an okay trade.

Along with pick-ups such as Darren Collison, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Cory Joseph-- maybe not "superstars," but they're nice foundational pieces to put around a franchise guy. I'll admit, Darren wasn't quite what I had in mind to play the point, but when healthy, he has been efficient (49.5 % FG, 43 % from 3 point range). He's averaging 5 assists, but to me, that's deplorable from the PG position. That's good if you're a shooting guard or a small forward, great if you're a power forward or a center, but I would expect more dimes from my point guard.

Nevertheless, his play has been a pleasant surprise, and part of the reason why Indiana has been doing better than expected. Bojan Bogdanovic's play has went under the radar; when they acquired him, I thought he would basically just drop back and fire threes/open two-pointers, but he has been creating his own shots off the dribble, creating plays for others when there's an opportunity, scoring on the low block occasionally, and I've seen him give some effort on defense.

I viewed Cory Joseph two ways: one of Indiana's worst nightmares when he played for the Raptors, and Nate McMillian's type of guard, a big guard who plays defense, although his offense is improving as well. As a Raptor, I remember when he would kill Indiana with that jumper above the key, and I'm glad he's brought that and more here.

Domantas Sabonis. Photo by David Richard- USA Today

Domantas Sabonis, the son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis, has also been very productive. Wow, I remember watching his dad play growing up, now I'm watching him play. Stuff like this makes me feel old, and I'm only in my 30s, but I digress. In a recent win against the Atlanta Hawks, he posted his 13th double-double of the season, and is averaging nearly a double-double for the year. This is part of the reason why I said I was okay with the trade. I liked his upside coming out of OKC; he got off to a good start, but (in my opinion) was cast by the wayside when the Thunder started making a push for the playoffs. He plays just like his dad with the inside/outside game, dexterity with the ball, and is good passer, but he's more nimble than his dad was.

These guys along with incumbents such as Thaddeus Young, Lance Stephenson, Glenn Robinson III, and Al Jefferson all have been the reasons for Indiana's success. Of course, Vic is a part of this success, but I didn't mention him in detail for a reason. He will be the subject of my next post. I've said this quite a few times this season, that although I felt the Pacers would surprise people, they have even exceeded my expectations of them, and this is the most proud, excited, and confident I've been of this team in a long time.

Ultimately, that's the difference between the team this year, and the team from last year. The one last year had better players, but this one has better chemistry, more fluidity, beautiful ball movement, etc., and I saw this from the first game of the season. It's hard to beat a squad that plays as a one.

Introduction and Origin

Welcome to my new blog page, Forever 31! I'm a die-hard Indiana Pacers fan; I've been rocking with them since, as you probably already know, the days of Reggie Miller. This is the reply or similar that I will give when people ask me why I'm a Pacers fan. Yes, I've been asked that before.

Anyway, on to the origin of this page, and why I chose the name, Forever 31. I originally launched it as a YouTube channel, but being that I don't make a lot of YouTube videos, plus I believe I'm a slightly better blogger than vlogger, I deleted my channel and created this brand new blog page, which I wanted to start on months ago, but nevertheless, here it is.

The name was actually inspired by the clothing store, Forever 21 and of course, Reggie Miller's uniform number when he played, hence the name, Forever 31. Getting to know the game of basketball in the early 90s, I started off admiring the shooters. At that time, if you could shoot, you were the guy to me, so it should come as no surprise to what drew me to Reggie Miller. Not saying he was just a "shooter," Reggie was a pure scorer who could create his own shot when needed, but the name of his game was ping-ponging off screen and picks, and shooting jumpers. Now, I pay more attention to the well-rounded players, but I digress.

I started following the Pacers during their playoff battle with the Celtics in the 90s, but what sealed it for me was the night when Reggie shot lights out in New York in the '94 playoffs. Rarely do you see anyone put on that type of shooting exhibition. For me, it was one of the greatest and craziest moments I've ever seen in basketball.

The 8 points in 9 seconds against-- who else?-- the Knicks the following year was crazy as well, but it pales in comparison to the scoring slaughter that night in Madison Square Garden. It was difficult watching them make early playoff exits after battles with New York, Chicago, and Orlando (during the Shaquille O'Neal era) particularly the first two, but they finally got the monkey off their back when they played the Los Angeles Lakers for the championship in the 2000 NBA Finals.

Unfortunately, they fell short, losing to the Lakers in six games, and haven't back there since. However, perhaps not this year, but I have a feeling they will see the big stage called the Finals again sometime in the upcoming future, which will be a subject for another blog. In conclusion, I wanted to give a quick overview of what's to come from Forever 31. This blog is going to cover my analysis and opinion of everything about the Indiana Pacers.