Indiana in trouble... should Boston risk its rebuild for a potential move?

[coffee425]

With another team in the East in danger of missing the playoffs, should Boston erase its rebuild in order to make a big trade to become playoff contenders?

[gpap]

Yes.

And whether or not we should "erase the rebuild" shouldn't even be a question as "rebuild" as another way of saying the team sucks.

Therefore, we should get out of rebuild mode, asap.

[LilRip]

I don't think Indy has dropped out of the playoff race. I also don't think Boston should make hasty trades in reaction to the injury.

I think C's should stay the course. If a trade becomes available that makes the team better, then absolutely you do it. But it should be for the right reasons. I don't think it would be wise to make a trade because a player on another team got injured.

[gpap]

I don't think Indy has dropped out of the playoff race. I also don't think Boston should make hasty trades in reaction to the injury.

I think C's should stay the course. If a trade becomes available that makes the team better, then absolutely you do it. But it should be for the right reasons. I don't think it would be wise to make a trade because a player on another team got injured.

No, it would be to improve our team.

[Rondo9]

I don't think Indy has dropped out of the playoff race. I also don't think Boston should make hasty trades in reaction to the injury.

I think C's should stay the course. If a trade becomes available that makes the team better, then absolutely you do it. But it should be for the right reasons. I don't think it would be wise to make a trade because a player on another team got injured.

No, it would be to improve our team.

Agreed, the sooner the Celtics get out of the rebuild, the better.

[Beat LA]

You know, now that the Pacers have, for all intents and purposes, lost their two best players for next season, I'm wondering if Bird would look to make a deal with the Knicks to take on Amare's expiring and Shumpert, because they're obviously not contending next year.  To the espn trade machine!

[Who]

Moves should only be made if there is chance for continued growth to point of title contender somewhere down the road.

If moves make Boston very good now (50-52 wins) but take all assets and flexibility away in process and make it near impossible to take next step to become title contender, then it's not worth doing. If moves make Boston good to very good now and leave enough assets / flexibility to make future moves to turn them into future title contender, then it's worth doing.

[LilRip]

I don't think Indy has dropped out of the playoff race. I also don't think Boston should make hasty trades in reaction to the injury.

I think C's should stay the course. If a trade becomes available that makes the team better, then absolutely you do it. But it should be for the right reasons. I don't think it would be wise to make a trade because a player on another team got injured.

No, it would be to improve our team.

Yup, that's my point. We should make a move because it is the right move. Not because Indy is in trouble of missing the playoffs or because PG got injured.

I don't disagree with making a big trade/splash/fireworks/whatever.

I disagree with the premise of the OP that there should be some correlation between George's injury and making a move.

[Celtics4ever]

I don't Larry will panic like some of these posters would if they were in his situation.  His level of mental toughness must be hard for some to fathom.

[Clench123]

Pacers aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so why not sell us the farm?  Bird is a type of person that won't panic and be shaken up  by something like this though. 

[hpantazo]

I think the Pacers should go after Monroe. A Monroe-Hibbert front court would keep them in the playoff picture until George gets back to somewhat normal in a couple of years.

Monroe and Hibbert are also young enough to build with and match with George if you expect him to return close enough to form in a few years. The guy they need to upgrade from is Hill, he has been holding them back for years imo.

[Sketch5]

George just broke his leg, it didn't come completely off. While in the short term the Pacers are going to be bad, long term with advanced medical and how young George is, he should come back pretty well as long as the ankle and knee didn't get injured badly as well.

Plus Indy doesn't really have anything we really want. Everyone is drooling over Hibbert, but out side the shot blocking, he's not great, not 15 mill great. I mean every one complains about Greens lack of rebounds, yet Hibbert only averages 2 more a game.

Zeller with 12 mpg less than Hibbert averages 2 less rpg, and between 4 and 5ppg and makes about 12mill less. Yeah his blocks are quite a bit lower, but I don't think you need to be a a shot blocker to be a rim protector.  If you can keep people out of the paint with quickness and cut off the man, that helps the D a lot, and if you can get to the player driving before he gets to the hoop and make him pull up and you change his shot, thats big, and doesn't show up in the books. I think Zeller has that quickness and athletic ability were Hibbert doesn't.

Now if you can get Hibbert for Wallace and Bogans, then we have some thing.

[RJ87]

Pacers aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so why not sell us the farm?  Bird is a type of person that won't panic and be shaken up  by something like this though.

I don't think he'll panic either, but Indy is cheap. They want nothing to do with the luxury tax when they are contending, now with no Stephenson or PG and no comparable replacements  plus David west another year older,  they could very well decide to make a move. Hibbert can opt out after this season, so is it unrealistic for them to trade him for assets and immediate cap relief before he potentially hits FA? They could possibly get a center in the draft who's cost controlled for awhile. Then in 2015, they'd have PG back, a 2015 draftee and assets from a Hibbert trade (a deal headlined by KO and Young could peak their interest).

[GetLucky]

Pacers aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so why not sell us the farm?  Bird is a type of person that won't panic and be shaken up  by something like this though.

I don't think he'll panic either, but Indy is cheap. They want nothing to do with the luxury tax when they are contending, now with no Stephenson or PG and no comparable replacements  plus David west another year older,  they could very well decide to make a move. Hibbert can opt out after this season, so is it unrealistic for them to trade him for assets and immediate cap relief before he potentially hits FA? They could possibly get a center in the draft who's cost controlled for awhile. Then in 2015, they'd have PG back, a 2015 draftee and assets from a Hibbert trade (a deal headlined by KO and Young could peak their interest).

I agree with this for the most part. However, I believe no move will be made because of Indy being cheap. The chance to stink for one year, only to have a top-15 (maybe top-10, but an arbitrary number is beyond the point) player return in addition to a top draft pick must be enticing. Larry may see this as a Spurs-like chance (or even Celtics, when Pierce was hurt) to reload with cheap young talent through the draft. That and Larry seems to value Hibbert (matched a big contract, although his opinion may have changed) and West (locker room leader). Could you imagine a frontline of Hibbert/West/Jahil Okafor, Karl Towns, etc? That would be a force to be reckoned with.

[RJ87]

Pacers aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so why not sell us the farm?  Bird is a type of person that won't panic and be shaken up  by something like this though.

I don't think he'll panic either, but Indy is cheap. They want nothing to do with the luxury tax when they are contending, now with no Stephenson or PG and no comparable replacements  plus David west another year older,  they could very well decide to make a move. Hibbert can opt out after this season, so is it unrealistic for them to trade him for assets and immediate cap relief before he potentially hits FA? They could possibly get a center in the draft who's cost controlled for awhile. Then in 2015, they'd have PG back, a 2015 draftee and assets from a Hibbert trade (a deal headlined by KO and Young could peak their interest).

I agree with this for the most part. However, I believe no move will be made because of Indy being cheap. The chance to stink for one year, only to have a top-15 (maybe top-10, but an arbitrary number is beyond the point) player return in addition to a top draft pick must be enticing. Larry may see this as a Spurs-like chance (or even Celtics, when Pierce was hurt) to reload with cheap young talent through the draft. That and Larry seems to value Hibbert (matched a big contract, although his opinion may have changed) and West (locker room leader). Could you imagine a frontline of Hibbert/West/Jahil Okafor, Karl Towns, etc? That would be a force to be reckoned with.

If they draft Okafor or Towns, no way they resign Hibbert for near max/max money unless they believe those guys can play PF full time next to him.  And Hibbert could just make this all mute and sign somewhere else. His relationship with the team seems to be a lot more fragile than it was 2 years ago.