Baston will make the Pacers World Champs! World Champs I tell you!
My hometown professional basketball team, the Indiana Pacers have burned bridges with thuggish behavior in strip clubs and on the streets of downtown Indy...but the organization looked to mend some of these bridges in a flurry of activity Thursday afternoon/evening.
The Pacers got rid of Jermaine O'Neal, who much of the city's sports fans have grown wary of...sent Ike Diagu away (which I wish they wouldn't have) and in return, got T.J. Ford, Jarrett Jack, Rasho Nesterivic, the rights to Roy Hibbert and a whole lot of cap room in '09. They also traded for Maceo Baston and (Crazy) Josh McRoberts. Plus, they picked up Brandon Rush in the draft.
I'm not a math guy, but according to my numbers, the Pacers will have about 100 players on the roster next year if everything goes through. That seems like it's illegal or something. Regardless of the amount of players, the Pacers need to drum up some interest because Conseco Fieldhouse regularly had WNBA-type crowds (and I'm not talking about flannel-wearing ladies) for the Pacers' games last season.
On July 9, the league and the Pacers should be able to talk about all of the Pacers moves so far...and Bird says there may be more to come. Hopefully, Granger is still around when it's all said and done- he's the one guy on the Pacers that I like watching AND think is actually worth cheering for.
Last thing, the NBA stinks.