Published: July 21, 2008 02:53 pm            

Bird still has work to do

Trading Jermaine O’Neal for a young point guard and draft pick was crafty. Swapping picks with Portland to land another solid point guard made sense.

Now the real challenge for Indiana Pacers President Larry Bird is presented — getting rid of Jamaal Tinsley and Shawne Williams.

The Pacers say they’ve changed the culture of the team, but in reality, the only major player that’s been shipped out of town is O’Neal. And O’Neal was the best thing the Pacers had going for them from a “culture” and off-the-court standpoint.

Don’t get me wrong, the Pacers have brought in some guys that seem to have high character. However, if the goal is changing the team’s culture, then Tinsley and Williams must go. If they don’t get rid of both players, has the culture really changed? Seems it will be a bunch of new faces with the same two troublemakers.

Tinsley’s weight issues and consistent health problems indicate a lack of work ethic. Off the court he’s been involved in shoot-outs and bar brawls. Williams has only been with the team two years and has already been wrapped up in several shady incidents. This past weekend, a passenger in a car Williams was driving was arrested for marijuana possession.

The problem is, NBA contracts are guaranteed. Tinsley and Williams both have three years left on their contracts. The Pacers owe Tinsley about $21 million and Williams about $7.5 million. The only way to get this money off the books is to trade them, and that’s going to be a tall task.

NBA teams aren’t stupid. They read the police blotter. They know Tinsley can’t stay healthy. But the Pacers haven’t done themselves any favors either. Bird has made it well known publicly that Tinsley and Williams are on their third strikes. Coach Jim O’Brien has made it clear Tinsley won’t be with the team next season.

This doesn’t exactly make them good trade bait. Who’s going to take those contracts off the Pacers’ hands when it’s obvious they are desperate to get them out of town by any means?

In the end, it’s likely the Pacers may be forced to release one or both of them if they can’t scope out a deal — which they’ve been trying to do with Tinsley forever. It would be hard to believe any team would take a $21 gamble on Tinsley at this point.

Getting Williams out of town is more likely. Though he can’t stay out of trouble, the financial risk is much lower, he has great size and length, and he’s only 22. The Pacers would likely get virtually nothing in return for Williams, but at least the money he’s owed would no longer be the Pacers’ problem.

So why not just release Tinsley, many Pacers fans wonder. Bird will shop him until the last minute, because if they let him go the ultimate nightmare scenario could play out — he suits up for another NBA team for dirt cheap and has a career season, while still on the Pacers’ payroll.

It seemed improbable the Pacers would get as much for O’Neal as they did, so anything is possible. But if Bird can get Tinsley — and most importantly his contract — out of town, he is truly a miracle worker.

— Todd Taylor is a sports writer for the Hendricks County Flyer and may be reached by calling 272-5800 ext. 155 or by e-mailing to todd.taylor@flyergroup.com. Check out his blog at taylormadetirade.wordpress.com.

        

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