Bringing the Mountain to Muhammed.

[Diesel]

I was having this insane thought about our situation after reading some interesting articles.

INDY is in trouble. If Carlisle can't get it together, some major changes will be made outside of just trading Artest. Walsh made a very leading statement to NY about not trading for vet players. The word on the street is that Jermaine Oneal is having a problem with everybody around him. He's fallen out with Jax, with Artest and with others. Yes he is the spokesperson and very well spoken for the Pacers...

Well, I know there were rumblings this summer about the Pacers moviing JO...

Don't take my word for it.. Listen to BIRD...

Quote:

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Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird is not sure his team could have won a championship this season even with Ron Artest.

But he's almost positive they won't win next year unless Jermaine O'Neal takes his game to another level.

"We have to get better," Bird said Tuesday in his season-in-review news conference. "Even if Ron played all year, I don't know if we would have been a championship team. We would have been a heck of a lot better.

"Will we make a lot of changes? I don't know. I think it all depends on Jermaine O'Neal. I'll put the pressure right on him. If he comes back in great shape, and he has Ronnie on his side and he's got Stephen Jackson, and Jamaal Tinsley does the things he needs to do in the summer, we'll be all right. We do have to get better in certain areas."

O'Neal has spent the past five seasons watching and learning from Reggie Miller, who retired after the Pacers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Detroit Pistons. Now Bird wants O'Neal to show he's worth the seven-year, $126 million contract he signed in the summer of 2003.

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If O'neal goes onto the table.. This is what I'm willing to spend:

JJ, Marvin, and JSmoove for J.O.

Then I would resign Al...

In the draft, I would look for either Rondo or the SG out of Duke.

Can you imagine:

Zaza, JO, Al... as our frontcourt!!!!!!!!

[shock]

redonkulous

[capstone21]

No where in that quote which looks like it is from the summer does it say that JO is going to be traded. Quite the oppistite actually. Bird is saying that he wants JO to step up and be the star he thinks JO should be. That is it. Of the players in Indy JO is probably the most untouchable unless they are getting a Garnett/James player in return.

[TheDude]

and honestly, as odd as it may sound, i wouldn't trade both smooth and marvin for jo..

[Diesel]

Quote:

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O'Neal was limited to 44 games this season because of his post-Nov. 19 brawl suspension and a sprained right shoulder in March.

He returned for the playoffs but wasn't the same player who finished third in MVP voting a year ago. Bird said he recently talked with team trainer David Craig, and the MRI done on O'Neal's shoulder late last week revealed that the All-Star forward is making progress.

"We'll find out right away whether he can handle it or not," Bird said.

"If he can't handle it, we'll have to find somebody else.

But I'm very confident that Jermaine, every year, matures more and more. Some players like that pressure. Some can't handle it. I really feel Jermaine can handle it. If he can, we'll be better from it."

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What exactly does BIRD have to say.

He says O'Neal must do better and come back better. Then he says If he can't handle it, we will find somebody who can. PLUS Walsh is talking about building with young talent.

It seems to me that this is a make or break year for the Pacers. They had buyers remorse after giving JO the contract...

If they want Out of it, I would gladly take JO...

[Diesel]

That's amazing..

Why wouldn't you trade Smoove and Marvin for JO?

[Wretch]

...because we don't know the ceiling on these guys. We know Oneal is 20/10...maybe Marvin will be? Maybe he'll put up better? Maybe not...but you can't make that assumption right now...and says nothing about how Smoove will turn out... It's too much. Throwing in JJ just kills it.

[gsuteke]

plus 7 years and 126 million is crippling.

the good news is we would trade all our young stars in that deal so we wouldn't have anybody else to pay.

i don't think so.

[Blunt91]

Diesel you are reading too much into Bird's statement. I think Bird was alluding to whether Jermaine could handle playing with a sprained shoulder and the fact that they were counting on him to pull them through to make the playoffs last year. "If he can't handle it, we will find someone that can." Bird was saying he would find someone else on the team to step up and put the team "On their shoulders" if Oneal was uncapble of doing it.

[Dukegotgame]

hahaha you would trade jj,marvin, and smoove for jo????

i think you have lost it

[Diesel]

Quote:

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Bird says O'Neal must get better

Team president puts pressure on All-Star forward, says he has to improve if Pacers want a title.

By Mike Wells

mike.wells@indystar.com

Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird is not sure his team could have won a championship this season even with Ron Artest.

But he's almost positive they won't win next year unless Jermaine O'Neal takes his game to another level.

"We have to get better," Bird said Tuesday in his season-in-review news conference. "Even if Ron played all year, I don't know if we would have been a championship team. We would have been a heck of a lot better.

"Will we make a lot of changes? I don't know. I think it all depends on Jermaine O'Neal. I'll put the pressure right on him. If he comes back in great shape, and he has Ronnie on his side and he's got Stephen Jackson, and Jamaal Tinsley does the things he needs to do in the summer, we'll be all right. We do have to get better in certain areas."

O'Neal has spent the past five seasons watching and learning from Reggie Miller, who retired after the Pacers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Detroit Pistons. Now Bird wants O'Neal to show he's worth the seven-year, $126 million contract he signed in the summer of 2003.

O'Neal was limited to 44 games this season because of his post-Nov. 19 brawl suspension and a sprained right shoulder in March.

He returned for the playoffs but wasn't the same player who finished third in MVP voting a year ago. Bird said he recently talked with team trainer David Craig, and the MRI done on O'Neal's shoulder late last week revealed that the All-Star forward is making progress.

"We'll find out right away whether he can handle it or not," Bird said. "If he can't handle it, we'll have to find somebody else. But I'm very confident that Jermaine, every year, matures more and more. Some players like that pressure. Some can't handle it. I really feel Jermaine can handle it. If he can, we'll be better from it."

Bird touched on a wide range of other topics Tuesday, including the makeup of the roster.

The Pacers aren't expected to be too active in free agency. Bird said they have areas they need to shore up, but he declined to go into details. They have 13 players under contract for next season.

The Pacers have the 17th pick in next month's draft. Their primary needs are at shooting guard or point guard if Tinsley's injuries persist.

Signing a marquee free agent appears unlikely. The Pacers are over the salary cap but have the midlevel exception, which was $4.9 million last season.

Bird didn't rule out trading any player,

including Artest and O'Neal.

Tinsley and reserve center Scot Pollard are the most likely to be discussed in trade talks this summer.

"Right now, (it looks like) they're all going to be here," Bird said. "But you never know what's going to happen. If you can make a deal that you think can make your team better, you have to make it. But I'm not out soliciting my guys at all."

The Pacers will have an experienced team next season, but team chemistry could be an issue. Miller won't be around to smooth things over, and the personalities of Artest, O'Neal, Jackson and Tinsley could clash.

"They're completely different individuals, but we need all of them," Bird said. "They're very talented; they know how to play the game. They know how to play together.

Like I always say, if those guys can come together and be on the same page, we'll be fine."

As point guard Anthony Johnson said last week, no matter how talented the Pacers are next season, it won't matter if the effort isn't there. Bird said he will monitor offseason workouts to ensure the effort is there.

"On my board I know who they are," he said. "If they don't commit themselves, we have to move them. It's plain and simple. Either you're in or you're out."

And it starts with O'Neal.

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Bird doesn't speak in riddles...