What Luis Scola Means to the Indiana Pacers

How will Luis Scola's addition to Indiana's rotation affect the team's chances at beating the Heat come the 2013-14 season?  Bleacher Report/PHOTO CREDITS

  

            The Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns have agreed to a deal that would send Argentinean big man Luis Scola to Naptown in exchange for Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, and a 2014 protected first-round pick. According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, Indiana had been pursuing the acquisition of Scola’s services for several weeks, and talks heated up over the past two days. Under new general manager Ryan McDonough, the Suns are in full re-building mode out west. With the team already acquiring their point guard of the future in Eric Bledsoe, the organization has looked to accelerate the process by shopping its older assets on the market.

At 33 years old, Scola did not fit into the Suns’ future plans. Already trading away long-time forward Jared Dudley, the team had no problem with exchanging Scola for a couple of young players and a first-round pick in next year’s draft. Although the team has given away the rights to one of the league’s most versatile big men, both Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee will fit in well with Phoenix.

Green will be given extended minutes on a young Sun’s team and will lead the charge from the wing on an uber-athletic fast break trio in Green, Bledsoe, and Michael Beasley (Shannon Brown too). While he has not lived up to the hype following his breakout season in 2012, his game still has room to improve. As for Plumlee, he will be thrown into a Phoenix frontcourt that already boasts Marcin Gortat (expect trade rumors to begin), Alex Len, both Morris brothers, and Channing Frye. While his playing time will be minimal, he should receive an opportunity to showcase his talent and surprise athleticism following a tremendous showing in the Orlando Summer League. After watching Plumlee play over the past two years for the Pacers and over the summer, I hope he is given a real opportunity to show the world his true talents (Good Luck Miles!).

Aside from the talents of Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee, the Suns will receive the Pacers’ first-round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft (Probably the most important part from Phoenix’s standpoint). Widely regarded as one of the best draft classes in recent memory, the 2014 Draft will be loaded with young basketball talent. The Suns now own three selections in the first-round, and it would not be surprising if they went after more spots in the draft. Overall, this is a great trade for Phoenix, as the exchanged an aging player for two young talents and a first-round pick.  

However, at this point, this deal is an outright steal for the Indiana Pacers’ organization. Larry Bird has done it again. I repeat, Larry Bird has done it again. The man is magical. Although he has made some risky decisions in the past, Bird is beginning to look like a front office extraordinaire. Indiana fans should be praising Bird and the entire front office for the arrival of Luis Scola (and the departure of Gerald Green). Although it will have to be seen how Scola contributes to the Indiana bench, it looks like a steal for the blue and gold.

As the story broke last night of a likely trade involving Luis Scola to the Pacers, many media outlets reported that Indiana forward Danny Granger would be the main piece heading out west to Phoenix. Pacer fans were at first dumbfounded, why trade Granger, a former all-star and, at times, elite scorer, for a guy like Scola? That maneuver would simply make no sense from Indiana’s position. However, fans soon realized the great fortunes of the trade when Wojnarowski reported that the Suns were interest in acquiring Gerald Green. Hallelujah. Ring the bells! Gerald Green is heading out of town. As I read the news last night that it would be Green leaving Indiana, rather than Granger, I about vomited from my level of excitement. That information was without a doubt the best news I had heard all summer.

There are two main reasons why this trade helps Indiana. First, the Pacers dumped Gerald Green’s horrific contract and finally cut ties with the failure that was the Gerald Green experiment. No knock on Green, as at times he was as exciting as anyone to watch, but he was just downright dreadful for 98 percent of the season. This was a very gut-wrenching process, considering the Pacers were paying him $3.5 million to make asinine plays and ride the bench. What made it worst was the hype surrounding Green entering the regular season, as he had shot 80 percent from three-point range during pre-season workouts and training camp.

Now that Gerald Green is finally removed from Indiana, let’s examine the main reason why this trade is such a win for the Pacers, which is the acquisition of Luis Scola. While the Suns were en route to the fourth worst record in the league last season, Scola had a quiet but successful season, averaging 12 points and 7 rebounds. At 33 years old, Scola has made a name for himself in the league by being an extremely versatile big man.  The Argentinean can score around the rim in a variety of post moves, while also fading out to the mid-range to knock down jumpers. Although he has faced consistency issues on the offensive end, there is no discounting his overall basketball talents. He will need to improve his defensive abilities in order to fully mesh into Frank Vogel’s system, but that should not be too difficult. With Scola set as the backup power forward, there’s no telling where this ball club is heading.

After acquiring veteran point guard C.J. Watson, young guard Donald Sloan, and sharpshooter Chris Copeland, the Pacers offseason was already regarded as being very successful. There were still some questions floating around about the backup power forward position, especially after Tyler Hansbrough signed with Toronto. However, after acquiring Scola on Saturday, there’s no question that he will be filling that void come the start of the season.

Luis Scola’s game will do wonders for the second unit. It is a major upgrade over Hansbrough. Psycho-T averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds off the bench last season, Scola’s season averages were double that. His scoring touch around the rim and ability to score from outside the lane is just what the second unit needed in Indy. After adding veteran leadership at the point and three-point shooting, Scola’s post abilities will bolster an already heavily improved second unit for the Pacers.

The lineup still remains to be seen, with Lance Stephenson’s and Danny Granger’s roles in question, but here’s a quick look at some of the possible scenarios:

  Scenario Number One

                     Starting Five: George Hill, Lance Stephenson, Paul George, David West, Roy Hibbert

                     Second Unit : C.J. Watson, Danny Granger, Chris Copeland, Luis Scola, Ian Mahimi

                     Other bench pieces: Donald Sloan, Orlando Johnson, Solomon Hill

  Scenario Number Two

                     Starting Five: George Hill, Paul George, Danny Granger, David West, Roy Hibbert

                     Second Unit: C.J. Watson, Lance Stephenson, Chris Copeland, Luis Scola, Ian Mahimi

                     Other Bench Pieces: Donald Sloan, Orlando Johnson, Solomon Hill

                While both scenarios completely rely on Danny Granger’s final role in the rotation, either option would be a viable. At this point, Scola’s addition to this team puts the Pacers right there in the top three teams in the league (Miami, San Antonio, Indiana). He makes the second unit that much better. Indiana’s second unit had absolutely post presence within the second unit. Hansbrough’s post game relied mostly on grabbing boards and shot-faking until he was fouled or putting his head down and going at the rim completely out-of-control. Ian Mahimi, while a great shot-blocking presence, has shown very raw post skills and limited ability to knock down jump shots. Scola changes all of that.

                If the Pacers field a second unit of Watson, Granger, Copeland/Hill, Scola, and Mahimi, it would be hard-pressed to find a better second unit in the NBA. In fact, I’d bet money on that lineup beating the starting lineups of a couple NBA franchises (I’m looking at you Philadelphia and Sacramento). Compared to a second unit of Augustin, Green, Sam Young, Hansbrough, and Mahimi, this second five looks like a team of all-star caliber players. Although the biggest improvements may be on the wing, Scola’s presence definitely changes something. His game fits in perfectly for the Pacers’ second unit, as his array of finesse post moves will counterbalance the physical enforcing style of David West. His ability to knock down jumpers from the mid-range area will allow for C.J. Watson to stretch the floor and get dribble-drive penetration.

                All-in-all, it’s downright scary to think about the talent the Pacers have assembled on their roster. In fact, I might go as far as to say that this has the shaping’s of the most-talented roster in Pacers’ history. In a league where the large markets accumulate a majority of the major talent, the Pacers represent what every fan loves, an underdog. No they are not an underdog because they have less talent than other teams. And it’s not because they have gone through significant strife or grieve to reach this step.  Rather, it’s because the Indiana Pacers represent something that sports fans are beginning to see less, a dominant small market team. Luis Scola’s addition makes the Pacers that much better and that much more likeable. Here’s something Scola had to share with reporters after learning about his trade to the Pacers:

          "I’m very, very excited to play for the Pacers. They are one of the top three teams in the NBA"

               Scola’s game will transition perfectly to a impoverished (in terms of scoring) second unit that will contend for being the most talents second unit in the league. With Scola leading the charge from the post, there’s no telling how far this team can go come playoff time. The Pacers are legitimate NBA Championship contenders. Stop doubting the blue collar team from Indiana. Hopefully, the quote next year can read “They are the top team in the NBA.” Indiana is counting on you Luis; help bring a title to where it belongs, in Indiana.  

Is Lance Stephenson Set For A Coming Out Party?

After earning a starting spot in the Pacer' rotation, how will Danny Granger's return affect Lance Stephenson's development? Nathanial S. Butler/Getty Images

            Lance Stephenson. Adidas ABCD Camp Participant. Abraham Lincoln High School Alumni. Four-Time New York City Champion. New York State’s All-Time Leading Scorer. Two-Time New York City Player Of The Year. Sexual Assault. Born Ready Reality Show. Rucker Park Legend. Gunnin’ For That No. 1 Spot. McDonald’s All-American. United States Under-18 Team Camp Invitee. University of Cincinnati Recruit. Second Round Draft Pick. Indiana Pacers. Orlando Summer League. Third Degree Assault. Bench Warmer. NBA Starter.

Eight years ago, Lance Stephenson began his journey to basketball stardom in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York. Coming off an impressive performance at the Adidas ABCD Camp the previous year, Stephenson enrolled at Abraham Lincoln High School. Basketball was at the core of Lincoln’s history. Having produced the likes of Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, Stephenson entered as a freshman hoping to write his own chapter in the book of New York high school basketball history. And after four years at Lincoln, Stephenson had accomplished all he had wished for, and more. Under Stephenson’s guidance, Abraham Lincoln High School became the first school in New York City history to win four straight city championships. Along the way, Stephenson became New York State’s all-time leading scorer, finishing with 2,946 points for his career. Additionally, Stephenson was twice awarded New York City Player of the Year honors.

As a consensus top-ten prospect, the Brooklyn teenager’s recruitment was a long and drawn out process. Eventually Stephenson decided to attend the University of Cincinnati, passing up the schools that occupied his original list, Kansas, St. John’s, and Maryland. After only one year at the “Dirty Nati,” Stephenson decided to forgo his three remaining years of eligibility and declare for the 2010 NBA Draft. The Indiana Pacers selected Stephenson with the 40^th pick.

With so much success on the hardwood, Stephenson has faced his fair share of off-the-court trouble. During his junior season, Stephenson faced a sexual assault charge for groping a female classmate at school. Later that year, he would miss two games for an altercation with one of his teammates. At the United States under-18 tryouts, he was sent home for “chemistry” reasons. In 2010, Stephenson was arrested for third degree assault for allegedly pushing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs. During his rookie season, his role in the rotation was diminished due to ongoing immaturity issues.

The record on Stephenson is not pretty. While his game made him a New York City basketball immortal, his off-the-court antics have diminished his professional standing. He has shown flashes of brilliance at times, but can still revert back to the selfish, out-of-control (and turnover-prone) playing style of his earlier days. However, Stephenson’s improved maturity over the past two seasons garnered the former high school star a starting spot for the 2012-13 season in wake of Danny Granger's absence.

Now, with Granger set to return to the Indiana rotation, Stephenson's role (along with Granger's) is one of the biggest uncertainties heading into the season. His development has certainly benefited from a place in the starting lineup, and his play has benefited the team as well. But with Granger's return, Stephenson's spot in the starting lineup may be in jeopardy. As a former all-star and winner of the Most Improved Player Award in 2009, Granger may not be comfortable in a role off the bench. If Granger returns to the starting lineup, Paul George will shift down to the shooting guard position while Stephenson would be relegated to the sixth man role. With both Granger and George in the starting lineup, this would definitely be the lineup with the most talent.

Even so, I do not think this would be the best maneuver for the Pacers in the long run. As fun as it would be to see a revamped lineup of George Hill, George, Granger, David West, and Roy Hibbert (Wow! I just realized how incredible that lineup would be), it simply does not make sense for the team. For two reasons, Paul George's emergence and for, my main focus of this entire article, Lance Stephenson's further development.

First off, let's cover the more obvious part, which is Paul George's emergence. This past season, the Pacers fan base and much of the NBA was blown away by Paul George's development into an all-star. While he still needs to cut down his turnovers and increase his efficiency from mid-range, there is no doubt that Paul George is a budding NBA superstar. His athleticism, improved ball-handling, increasingly deadly three-point stroke (and much more) all accounted for the 23 year old's breakout season. This was all accomplished as PG24 played in his natural position at small forward. If Granger were to return to the lineup, George would certainly shift to the shooting guard position, where he primarily played for his first two seasons in Indiana. There's no telling how this would affect George's further emergence into a bonafide NBA superstar, but i have my doubts. At shooting guard, PG will once again be playing out of position. He will face smaller, quicker players which may hinder his abilities to both defend and score on the offensive end. And on top of that, Granger will warrant his fair share of touches, especially if he returns to his pre-injury form. Granger's prescense in the lineup will only harm George's rise to superstardom.

Secondly, Granger's spot in the starting lineup will most definitely hinder Lance Stephenson's development. Within the starting role, Indiana fans were wowed by Stephenson's abilities to get to the rim and his electric playing style. He is a high energy player, which is something Indiana fans have always loved (Example: Ron Artest). Heading into the past season, Stephenson took the starting role and ran with it, impressive for a player who only average ten minutes per game the previous season. Over the course of the season, Stephenson emerged as a fan favorite, all the while delivering the supreme ups and downs of a first year starter in the NBA. His game is miles better than what it was when the season started in October. This man cannot be relegated to the bench; there is simply too much upside for the 22 year old Brooklyn native.

While off the court activities and immaturity issues have hindered his playing time during his first two seasons in Indianapolis, Stephenson worked hard to improve his game, hoping his troubles would go away. During his first two offseasons in the NBA, Stephenson stayed in Indiana to work on his game (and stay out of trouble). He improved his shooting abilities and showed an increased awareness on the court, which helped cut down on some of the detractions of his erratic style of play. After watching Paul George emerge into an NBA star, Lance Stephenson is ready for his own coming out party. There's no question that Stephenson's stock is on the rise, but how high is his ceiling? Personally, I think Stephenson can mature into a perennial all-star caliber player. He has all the tools of a prototypical NBA shooting guard. He's quick and decisive with the dribble. He possesses superior athleticism for a player his size. His three-point shot has shown vast improvement. He can burn defenders and finish at the rim. He is a high motor player.

Along with Paul George, Stephenson may emerge as one of the greatest steals from the 2010 NBA Draft. However, the question of whether or not he reaches his full potential is dependent on his role in the upcoming season. Fans have already seen a dramatic increase from his sophomore season, and he's ready to take the next step, a Paul George kind of step. I can definitely see Stephenson making a similar jump in production that George made last season. He has all the physical tools and the basketball talent to do so; it's just a matter of whether or not he will garner the chance to reach his full potential. Although a sixth man role would still provide Stephenson valuable minutes, his development will surely be hindered coming off the bench. To me, this is a great opportunity for Frank Vogel and his staff to aid Stephenson in his emergence onto the NBA's big stage. If he receives a starting spot next season, I do not see any reason why the Pacer's cannot celebrate two first time all-star selections in two consecutive years. After all, he’s known as Born Ready for a reason.   

Adidas Invitational: Pool Play Recap



Kasey Hill and Florida Elite broke onto the national recruiting stage at last year's Adidas Invitational. Who has the talent to do the same this year in Indy?



     As the July evaluation period opened on Wednesday, college coaches were out in force at North Central High School for the first pool play games at the Adidas Invitational. While the tournament is missing some of the big name players it's carried in the past (Andre Drummond, Shabazz Muhammed, Kasey Hill, Chris Walker), it still has the talent to draw the likes of Mike Krzyzewski and Rick Pitino. With teams traveling from all around the country to Indianapolis, the past two days have been nothing but great basketball. Teams such as Dream Vision and the Compton Magic have traveled from the West Coast to play in this year's tournament. As the past two days have come and gone, some of the big time recruits have stood out in the spotlight, while others have faded. Tournaments like this are a great opportunity for players to showcase their talent, but can also exploit severe weaknesses. Now, let's look at some of the biggest storylines heading into tournament play this weekend.

Brandone Francis (2014) Is Legit

Slam Magazine/PHOTOCREDITS

     The 6'5" Francis has been the most impressive player in the class of 2014 at this year's invitational so far. The future Florida Gator is ranked number 25 nationally in his class according to Rivals. While he is not the top ranked player in Indy this week, the Florida Elite star has shown the most skills. In the first game of the tournament, Francis wowed a large crowd at North Central High School against a very talented Team Loaded squad from North Carolina. Twin brothers Caleb and Cody Martin, both North Carolina State commits, led Team Loaded to a hot start.

     However, Francis seemed un-phased with a quick deficit, showing great poise throughout the first half. His offensive game is nothing short of brilliant. Out of any player I've seen so far, he possesses the quickest, and most likely best, ball-handling skills. His tight dribble allows for easy dribble-drive penetration, and those abilities were out in full force Wednesday night. On multiple occasions, Francis split the double team and slashed to the rim. After only a few minutes, it was quite evident that Francis is a freak athlete. His great leaping ability and strength allows for great finishing at the rim. Add in his keen basketball awareness, and there's a multitude of ways for the rising senior to finish around the basket.

     And it does not stop there. Francis showed great shooting ability, knocking down three-point shots and shooting well off of the dribble. Most notable was a step-back, fade away shot from just inside the arc in the left corner. He led the way for Florida Elite's comeback, in which they ultimately won the game by a score of 72-66. Throughout the rest of pool play, Francis led Florida Elite to a 2-1 record and the number one overall seed in the 17u Platinum Bracket. If Florida Elite wants to repeat last year's tournament, in which they brought home the trophy, they will have to be carried by the offensive abilities of Brandone Francis.

While Kevon Looney (2014) Has Been Off, Teammate David Burrell (2014) Has Shined In The Spotlight

     Milwaukee Running Rebel's forward Kevon Lonney came into the 2013 Adidas Invitational as the highest ranked prospect in the class of 2014 at the tournament. But Looney has played nothing like it. In Milwaukee's first game against New Orleans Elite, Looney, the nation's  11th ranked player, was all but impressive. Matched up against the 21st ranked player, Craig Victor, Looney faded out of the spotlight. His performance was hard to watch as Coach K, Thad Motta, Tom Izzo, and Rick Pitino were all in appearance for the Wisconsin native.

     Looney was bullied around by Victor, who played below average as well, and showed no real mental drive to win the game. There's no doubt Looney is one of the surefire athletic specimens the 2014 class has to offer. However, after watching the first half, I was starting to believe that's all the big man has to offer. Aside from a pull up shot in transition, he showed no real talent on either end of the court. He rebounded poorly, showing no instinct to box out or go for the ball. While he did block a few shots, that was the only noticeable thing I took from his showing at the tournament. However, I would like to believe the kid had a rough game. If Coach K personally flew in to watch Looney, you know he is a legit talent.

     With Looney playing poorly, his teammate David Burrell stepped into the spotlight and led the Milwaukee team offensively. He showed great scoring abilities on the offensive end, showcasing his ability to knock down shots from behind the arc but also his driving capabilities. He basically took over the game midway through the first half, scoring what seemed like ten straight points for the Running Rebels. With so many big name coaches in the house, Burrell's performance is sure to draw the interest of some school out there.

There Is A Reason Why People Compare Carlton Bragg (2015) To Kevin Durant

Rivals.com/PHOTOCREDITS

     At Northview Middle School on Wednesday night there was a large crowd to see the Eric Gordon All-Stars matchup against the Ohio Basketball Club. A large portion of the crowd was decked in the Crimson of the Indiana University Hoosiers. However, Hoosier Nation was not in attendance to see a local talent from EG10, but rather Carlton Bragg, a Cleveland native. Bragg is ranked number 12 nationally by Rivals, and has expressed strong interest in Tom Crean's basketball program. And it showed, as Tom Crean was across the court in the coaches' section. Along with Crean was Thad Motta, John Groce (Illinois), Bob Huggins (West Virginia) and former Park Tudor coach Ed Schilling (UCLA Assistant).

     Bragg was all that the crowd had bargained for when they made the trip to NVMS. He showed great offensive abilities, getting to the rim and also knocking down shots. Many scouts have compared his game to Kevin Durant. While it is a pretty lofty comparison, I can see why scout's have done so. His 6'9" frame allows for him to get off shots over defenders. He has extremely long arms, which benefit him on the glass and on the defensive end. I think the play of the day was his block that sent the ball past the half-court line. As for now, it seems Bragg will remain at the very top of the 2015 class. It will be interesting to see how he comes back and performs at the invitational next year.

Trevor Clay (2014) and Chris Clark (2014) May Not Be Big Name Players, But They Sure Can Play

    
     Both Trevor Clay (pictured) and Chris Clark play for the St. Louis Gateway basketball program. Neither Clay nor Clark are nationally ranked recruits. The highest ranked player on their team is 6'11" center Austin Gillman, who is the 33rd ranked center in the class of 2014. The squad drew a tough super pool schedule, and finished 1-2. And on top of that, the team's missing some of its better players (and more sizable) in Andrew Maddock and Brandon Leuders. Still, guards Trevor Clay and Chris Clark have somehow managed to shine in this year's tournament.
 
     Aside from the big name players like Brandone Francis and Goodluck Okonoboh, Clay and Clark have been two of the most impressive talents I've seen so far. I've watched the Gateway team play two games against the Houston Hoopstars and Memphis Pure Magic Elite. In both games, the guard combination of Clay and Clark have carried a undermanned Gateway team. Both guards are lightning quick and excel at getting to the rim from dribble-drive scenarios. And both of them, especially Clay, are uber-athletic for their frame. I have been completely and utterly blown away from the talent level of these two kids.
 
     While the Gateway lost their first two games to Houston and then to the New England Playaz, they still have a chance at making a run in the tournament. It is very unlikely that the team advances far, but I would not discount this team after watching Clay and Clark dominate the guard position over the past two days. safe to say that both of them will be seeing increased interest from colleges scouts in the near future.