Read the article, then do the math... http://www.indystar.com/articles/1/107156-9021-036.html December 31, 2003 Bob Kravitz Artest is here for better or for worse Here is the Pacers' conundrum. They cannot win without Ron Artest. They cannot win with Ron Artest. And unless they're willing to make a horrible deal that gets them only 50 percent of Artest's value -- he became a base-year compensation player when he received an extension from Donnie Walsh -- they cannot trade Artest any time this season. So what do the Pacers do? They lie in the bed they've made for themselves. They pay for the sins they've committed from the time Artest rolled into town. They pay for the way Isiah Thomas waited too long before he dropped the hammer on Artest. They pay for the fact Walsh, who extended the Jonathan Benders of the world while closing the door on Brad Miller, made a long-term commitment to the NBA's loosest cannon despite a reputation for instability. The Pacers can't get rid of him. Not yet, anyway. For one, there's the base-year compensation issue. The collective bargaining agreement allows the Pacers to trade Artest only for a player who makes 50 percent of Artest's salary during the first year of the extension. As much trouble as Artest is, he's not so much trouble that you give him away for 50 percent value. I'm not sure we've reached the addition-by-subtraction point yet, although there's still time. Second, he's too valuable right now. When his head is right, and it's been right more often than not this season, he's the team's second-best player. If you thought the Pacers were struggling now, imagine them without Artest. Who would replace him? Al Harrington? Shoot, if anybody is going to be traded, it's going to be Harrington, who was called out, albeit not by name, during Carlisle's postgame unburdening Saturday. Now, if there was any indication Bender could stay healthy for more than a week and be effective, the Pacers would have options. But we know better. The truth is, Indiana has problems that go well beyond Artest. • They have no point guard for the future. Excuse me if I'm not anointing Jamaal Tinsley as the solution after 11/2 good games. • They have no consistency at the No. 5 spot, although Primoz Brezec has been a pretty steady non-contributor. • They have a shooting guard who either won't shoot or can't shoot anymore. It's one thing for Reggie Miller to defer to the young guys, but this has become ridiculous. He's a two-guard who isn't averaging double digits. How does anybody win with that? • They haven't bought into the Carlisle offensive system, which they say stifles creativity and destroys tempo. All I know is, when they started 14-2, they were averaging 88 points per game. The past few weeks, they've been a .500 team, still averaging 88 points per game. Is the offense the problem? You do the math. The complaints would be a lot more valid from players who've actually won a single playoff series in their career. As for Carlisle's Mora-esque colloquy, the only thing you can say is, "It's about time." No doubt, it was as risky as it was out of character for the normally buttoned-down Carlisle. Those kinds of Mora-esque explosions can galvanize a team or send it mentally packing. But Artest needed to hear it, and his teammates needed to know that Artest would hear it. As for whether it will make any long-term difference, simply consider the following: This is Artest we're talking about. Did it sound like he turned the corner the other day when he emerged from a meeting with Carlisle, Walsh and Larry Bird and suggested he might miss the evening's game with a sudden onset of back spasms? There's nothing the Pacers can do about him now. They are stuck with Artest. Artest is stuck with them. It's a bad marriage that never should have been consummated in the first place. But now both sides are going to have to make it work. Bob Kravitz is a sports columnist for The Indianapolis Star. Contact him at 1-317-444-6643 or via e-mail at bob.kravitz@indystar.com The math is...Artest for the TE and a #2. Then, a 2nd deal: Cato and Cat for Harrington and Pollard. Harrington for BBarry. Three teams win. The Pacers get great value for their guys. The Rox get great value for theirs, too. Sonics get bigger and ease their backcourt overflow. Do it.
I have read articles penned by several different Indy sportswriters and none of them seem to do their homework. I know Indy has a 3.5 mil trade exception. Sorry to be a geek about it, but this being a geeked-out sportsfan web site....think I'll send the guy an e-mail; am I wrong? Brad Miller + Mercer (13.5 mil) and receive Pollard and Ferry (10 mil)....
Ron Artest is worth the headache. Rasheed Wallace is worth the headache. So these guys miss 4 games a year due to a suspension. That's 4 games out of 82 minus the playoffs. Their teammates should be able to look past these distractions because of the 15 to 18 points and 3 to 5 steals a game that Artest brings to their team (not to mention he is a top five defender in this league) and for the 17 points and 8 to 9 boards that Wallace brings to the team.
I think Al Harrington would be the better fit for the 3 spot. He's a good defender and rebounder. His shot is also not bad. He could even play so 2 and 4 pending on the match-up. And he wouldn't be as hard to obtain as Artest.
I have to disagree, Artest is probably one of the best fits in the JVG system. I've always wanted to deal with the Pacers, they have a lot of young talent we could use.
They screwed up when they extended the contract of Bender without thinking abot Brad Miller 1st. Miller abd O'neal was the best combo in the east and one of the best n the league. Bender was a mistake because the team is loaded at his position. I would take Harrington over Artest even though they're the same about the same age. I doubt Indy would deal Harrington, but Harrington for Mobley makes it easy on both sides and the salaries match. Jackson can move to he 2 and Harrington the 3 while Mobley can come off the bench until Reggie moves on. I ate to say this, but i wouldn't give up Cato. Laugh at his numbers and gloat at Taylors, but since he's been starting, we haven't ha pf's go off for big numbe against us and we know thats the beast we'll face in the west. Artest isn't going anywhere because he's byc, but i'll settle for Harrington. The only other deal involves the so called untouchables an that O'neal and Francis, but i doubt either team will shake thier rosters up like that. Espeially since even thouh they'r struggling, they still have the best record in the east and is ne of the younget teams in the league.
Rox' TE is only reasonably possible way to deal him, and Rox/JVG would be a good destination. Cato and Cat would upgrade Pacers, Harrington would benefit the Sonics...Barry would help here. What's the problem, guys, or better -- where is the solution?
