Indiana Pacers Blog – Page 74 – NBA Blog

Pacers name Sam Perkins VP of player relations

The Indiana Pacers announced Monday that Sam Perkins has been named Vice President of Player Relations. Perkins played with the Pacers from 1999 to 2001 and was a member of the 2000 team that went to the NBA Finals.

“As a player, he was a real professional who showed genuine leadership,” said Pacers President of Basketball Larry Bird, who coached Perkins with the Pacers. “He’s a person we all were hoping would come back and help us some day. He’s a good man with many qualities that will help the franchise.”

Since his retirement in 2001, Perkins has been actively involved in a variety of charitable endeavors including Special Olympics; Nothing But Nets in conjunction with the United Nations; Boys and Girls Clubs; Big Brothers; Carolina for Kibera; NBA Cares; Basketball Without Borders and Habitat for Humanity. Perkins is a graduate of North Carolina with a degree in communications. He was a co-captain of the 1984 gold medal-winning Olympic basketball team and he played a total of 15 seasons in the NBA with four different teams.

“I’m looking forward to this opportunity and challenge because in the perspective of the NBA, player development programs are a high priority,” said Perkins. “For the Pacers, the development of players on and off the court has been made a top priority by the franchise.”

“As a young player in my first couple of years in the league, Sam was a leader on a veteran team and showed myself and the other young guys the correct way to do things,” said Pacers forward Jeff Foster. “I always looked up to Sam for how he represented and conducted himself on and off the court. I’m sure he’ll make a smooth transition into this role.”

Donnie Walsh had spotty draft record with Pacers

The Indianapolis Star (Bob Kravitz) reports: As much as Donnie Walsh is revered around here, his draft record since the early years has been spotty at best. Yes, he took Reggie Miller at No. 11 in 1987, took Rik Smits, a no-brainer at No. 2 in 1988, and hit pay dirt with Antonio Davis in the second round in 1990 and Dale Davis at No. 13 in 1991. Beyond that, though, we’re looking at . . . George McCloud at No. 7 in 1989 . . . Malik Sealy at No. 14 in 1992 . . . Scott Haskin at No. 14 in 1993 . . . Eric Piatkowski at No. 15 in 1994 . . . Erick Dampier at No. 10 in 1996 . . . Austin Croshere at No. 12 in 1997 . . . Jonathan Bender at No. 5 in 1999 after sending Antonio Davis to Toronto . . . Primoz Brezec at No. 27 in 2000 . . . Jamaal Tinsley, acquired from Atlanta and chosen at No. 27 in 2001, one pick ahead of Tony Parker . . . Fred Jones at No. 14 in 2.

Pacers name their general manager

The Pacers, wanting to keep it in the family, have promoted senior vice president of basketball operations David Morway and named him the team’s new general manager. For more info on Morway, click here.

Despite looking competitive for chunks of last season the Pacers need to rebuild. They lack a future superstar, however. Danny Granger had a breakout season and can be a key player on a winning team. Mike Dunleavy can also help a winner. Troy Murphy has uses, too. But Jermaine O’Neal and Jamaal Tinsley are too permanently banged up to count on.

With just a simple move or two, and some health, the Pacers could make the playoffs in the East, but not go past the first round. Morway has a lot of work to do if he wants to turn the Pacers into a somewhat average East squad into a team that has a legit chance at competing for a championship.

Pacers want help at PG and C

The Indianapolis Star (Mike Wells) reports: The Pacers are slotted to pick 11th if lottery seeds hold, their earliest selection since picking Erick Dampier 10th in 1996. They believe the draft is the first step to improving. Team president Larry Bird wouldn’t divulge names, but he said the Pacers have targeted point guard and center as their primary needs. As important, Bird said the player has to fit coach Jim O’Brien’s style at least “90 percent” of the time.

Danny Granger wants to be like Kobe Bryant

The Indianapolis Star (Mike Wells) reports: Danny Granger has set the bar as high as possible. “My goal is to be like Kobe (Bryant) because he scores and he locks people down on defense,” Granger said. “That’s my ultimate goal. I’ve never really created with my dribble. I need to become the isolation player where coach can come to me and I get a bucket for the team.” Granger carries himself like an emerging force who is ready to take the reins that Reggie Miller and Jermaine O’Neal have held for many years. It doesn’t hurt that he scored 30 or more points in three of the final four games. Basketball is more than offense, of course, and that’s what coach Jim O’Brien reminded him. “I think Danny will be an All-Star if he becomes a complete player,” O’Brien said. “A complete player being a guy that will be our best defensive player, that people know he’s our best defensive player. A guy that can absolutely shut the best player down.”

Apr. 16: Pacers 132, Knicks 123

The AP reports: Isiah Thomas gave new Knicks president Donnie Walsh a few more reasons to fire him. Mike Dunleavy tied a career high with 36 points, and the Indiana Pacers beat New York 132-123 on Wednesday night. The Knicks allowed their highest point total of the season and tied a franchise record with 59 losses… Jamal Crawford, who led New York with 25 points, said the season has been disappointing, but he’s not counting Thomas out yet… Zach Randolph had 23 points and 15 rebounds, while former Pacer Fred Jones added 20 points for the Knicks. Danny Granger scored 26 points, just missing his fourth consecutive 30-point game. Troy Murphy added 19 points and 12 rebounds as Indiana reached a season-high point total. The Pacers swept the Knicks for the first time in franchise history.

Apr. 14: Wizards 117, Pacers 110

The AP reports: Despite the playoff implications of Monday’s game, Washington coach Eddie Jordan went to his bench early and often, getting 31 points from Roger Mason, 14 from rookie Nick Young and little resistance from the Pacers’ defense. Gilbert Arenas was given the night off and Caron Butler sat out with a bruised knee. The Wizards’ reserves outscored their starters 70-47. The disparity was even greater after DeShawn Stevenson left early in the second half with a sore back… “It’s disappointing,” said Mike Dunleavy, who scored 26 points… They weren’t missed. Mason was 7-for-9 on 3-pointers, rookie Dominic McGuire scored a career-high nine points, and Andray Blatche grabbed 11 rebounds as Washington dominated the boards 58-31.

Wizards notes going into Monday Pacers game

The Wizards will host the Indiana Pacers tomorrow night at Verizon Center in Washington’s 2007-08 regular season home finale on Comcast SportsNet and WTEM 980 at 7:00 pm.

* This game marks the fourth and final meeting between the Wizards and Pacers this season. Having lost two of the first three meetings, Washington needs a win to earn a split in the season series. After sweeping the Pacers (3-0) last season, and having split four games in 2004-05 (2-2) and 2005-06 (2-2), Washington hasn’t lost a season-series to Indiana since 2003-04 (1-2).

* Headed to the NBA Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, Washington joins the Detroit Pistons as the only Eastern Conference clubs to qualify for postseason play in every season since 2004-05. With two regular season games remaining, the Wizards (42-38) currently trail Cleveland (43-36) by 1.5 games for the fourth seed in the East. Washington leads Toronto (40-39) by 1.5 games for the fifth seed.

* On Saturday night versus Philadelphia, DeShawn Stevenson hit five of Washington’s 12 three-pointers, and the Wizards increased their season total to 558 three pointers made. After connecting on a franchise record 561 three-point field goals last season, the Wizards are just four three-pointers away from establishing a new franchise record for threes made in a single season. Stevenson, meanwhile, has made 68 of his career-high 155 three-pointers in the 27 games since the All-Star break, and ranks 9th in the NBA in three-pointers made over that stretch.

* In Washington’s last game…Washington defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, 109-93, at Verizon Center on April 12…Antawn Jamison led Washington with a game-high 25 points and 13 rebounds…Gilbert Arenas tallied 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists in 25:06…DeShawn Stevenson scored 19 points, including five three-point field goals, and recorded a team-high seven assists…Antonio Daniels (12 points) and Darius Songaila (10) also scored in double figures…Caron Butler (bruised right knee) missed his 22nd game of the season, but Washington improved to 9-13 in his absence…The Wizards outscored the 76ers 31-9 in the fourth quarter…Philadelphia’s nine fourth quarter points tied for the fewest amount of points a Wizards’ opponent has scored in any quarter this season.

* This season vs. Indiana…The Wizards were defeated by the Pacers, 95-83, at Indiana on Dec. 22…Antawn Jamison scored a game-high 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds…Roger Mason Jr. finished with a then career-high 20 points and five rebounds…Darius Songaila started his first game this season and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds in a season-high 35:17…Brendan Haywood finished with 13 rebounds and a season-high tying five blocks.

Apr. 12: Bobcats 107, Pacers 103

The AP reports: Jason Richardson scored 26 points, and the Charlotte Bobcats beat the Pacers 107-103 on Saturday night to deal a severe blow to Indiana’s playoff hopes. The Pacers entered the night two games behind Atlanta for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference with three games to play… Indiana’s Danny Granger scored a career-high 37 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter while playing with five fouls… Mike Dunleavy added 22 points and seven assists for Indiana, which had its four-game winning streak end… Nazr Mohammed had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Emeka Okafor had 14 points and 18 rebounds and rookie Jared Dudley scored a career-high 19 points for the Bobcats, who outrebounded the Pacers 59-46.

Apr. 11: Pacers 85, Sixers 76

The AP reports: Danny Granger scored 15 of his 30 points in the third quarter as the Pacers kept their slim Eastern Conference playoff hopes alive with an 85-76 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night… “We knew Atlanta was winning,” said Granger, who also had 12 rebounds. “We knew we had to have this one.” … While Andre Miller paced the 76ers with 23 points and Thaddeus Young scored 21, three of the young players who have contributed to Philadelphia’s surprising midseason resurgence struggled with miserable nights from the floor. Willie Green (2-for-14), Lou Williams (2-for-12), and Rodney Carney (1-for-11) combined to hit five of 37 shots.