<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Now that the NBA draft is done and the free agency signing period has begun, let's play a quick game of compare-and-contrast, shall we? Since the Indiana Pacers missed the NBA playoffs for the first time in a decade, and presumably hope to return to the postseason next year, it's probably best to play this game using the other six Eastern Conference playoff non-qualifiers. The New York Knicks traded for former Marion, Ind., and Portland Trail Blazers star Zach Randolph. Now, there's no reason to think that if Randolph can't stay out of trouble in Portland, he's somehow going to lead a monastic existence in New York. But if his head is right, and his posse is set adrift on an Arctic ice floe, he's going to be a force. The Boston Celtics traded and got Seattle's Ray Allen, who, paired with Paul Pierce, will make the Celtics a playoff contender again. The Atlanta Hawks, who have twice fleeced the Pacers in trades involving Al Harrington, smartly held firm to their Nos. 3 and 11 picks, adding talent and character with Al Horford and Acie Law. The Charlotte Bobcats made an odd move when you figure they're in long-term building mode, but adding Jason Richardson makes them much more competitive right now. The Philadelphia 76ers were one of the NBA's biggest surprises after they moved Allen Iverson, and dealt their way to a pair of first-rounders, Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith. The Milwaukee Bucks, who were beset by injuries last season, return a nice young team and should have Chinese star Yi Jianlian, who international scouts say is a junior Dirk Nowitzki. (This assumes, and we are, that Jianlian will come to his senses and deign to join Milwaukee). Now let's look at Your Indiana Pacers . . . On draft night, they traded to get a second-round pick, a Croatian named Stanko Barac. I believe "Barac" is actually Croatian for "Sundov.'' Or maybe it's "Brezec." Drafting Barac is fine if you're serious about tearing down and slowly rebuilding the Pacers for the future -- which would be my master plan -- but if you're trying to make the playoffs next season, the addition of Barac helps nobody. We may see Barac as a Pacer about the same time as Erazem Lorbek.</div> Source: Indy Star
Man, they are done unless some trades happen. Every team is getting younger, and the Pacers aren't, that is what happens with bad management.
