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Bird Dumps Thomas

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Dingster

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Appears that the bad blood still flows as Isiah was sacked by Bird. Bit of a dogs act to do it at such a late stage, but Bird has the score on the board I guess. He`s talking about speaking to Rick Carlisle today to take the team over. Carlisle did a great job with the Pistons and would be a good choice imo.
 
Not a dog act at all. Thomas did himself no favours with his terrible coaching and continual desire to have his team become the new "Bad Boys". Carlisle could take this team into championship contention.
 
Originally posted by Guey_34
Not a dog act at all. Thomas did himself no favours with his terrible coaching and continual desire to have his team become the new "Bad Boys". Carlisle could take this team into championship contention.
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Agree with the change Guey, I just think as a general rule, it`s good form to give the outgoing coach a reasonable opportunity to find another job.
 
Well, possibly Bird didn't want to make his comeback (all of what, one month?) and straight away axe Zeke, as if he had some huge vendetta against him. Further, I'm sure every coaching job was sown up by the time of Bird's return (perhaps not the Clippers). Maybe Joseph Dumars will have a position for him in Detroit.
 

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It's a good move for mine, the Pacers slipped considerably in the second half of last season from championship contenders to a team purely making up the numbers.

Be interesting to see what Calisle can do with them, can anyone handle Artest?
 
I heard this about 3 weeks ago that Bird was going to sack Thomas, and thats why Carlisle was going quiet and not talking to teams because he had the Indiana job lined up.

Interesting to see what happens.
 
Originally posted by jerry springer
I wonder how Jermaine O'Neal is going to react,as Im pretty sure one of the main reasons he resigned was because he was give a garrantee that Thomas would be retained as coach
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Yah I read an article on ESPN that said O'Neal stated he would never play for the Pacers under any coach other then Thomas. I don't see it as a big deal, I'm sure he understands the NBA is a business, ruthless as it may be some times.
 
Originally posted by Carmelo Anthony
I heard this about 3 weeks ago that Bird was going to sack Thomas, and thats why Carlisle was going quiet and not talking to teams because he had the Indiana job lined up.

Interesting to see what happens.
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Makes you wonder about Carlisle doesn't it? Doesn't really pursue any other jobs after getting done in detroit and about the same time Bird (his old mate) takes over in Indi. Something could've been brewing there for a while.
 
Carlisle was heavily rumoured to be a candidate for the Portland gig, earlier in the summer when the coaching merry-go-round was occuring. As it happens, Mo Cheeks didn't move to Philly, so those rumours died down...

But who are we to doubt Larry Legend, he is the greatest of all-time, isn't he Jod? Speaking of which, update the farking hot 100 already. ;)
 
Ah Jermaine. You should have come to S.A. :P

Firstly, his cohort Brad Miller is traded and now bye bye Thomas.

Interesting move. Thomas has not got the best out of his young brigade by any stretch of the imagination. (Harrington, Bender, Croshere, Tinsley)

I like Thomas. I hope he gets a gig at another team.
 
Regardless of how it happened, I`m interested to see if Bird can turn them around. I was impressed with his coaching stint and if he can do it again behind the scenes, MJ would have a major challenge on his hands.
 
http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/9/069286-4829-094.html

O'Neal ponders future with Pacers

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Jermaine O'Neal declared his future with the Indiana Pacers uncertain Wednesday in the wake of the news that Isiah Thomas had been fired as head coach.

O'Neal, a member of the USA Basketball national team that defeated Mexico 96-69 Wednesday night, said he was stunned and angered by the decision, although he was calm and smiling with reporters after the game.

"I'm extremely upset. If it wasn't for Isiah Thomas I wouldn't be here. Isiah has given me the confidence to be not only the player I am today, but the father and the son that I am today. He's sat down and been a father figure for me. I was just sitting there trying to grasp going into the season without him."

O'Neal, who signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Pacers on July 16, said he would not have re-signed with the Pacers if he had known Thomas would not be his coach next season.

He acknowledged that he feels deceived by the Pacers, but stopped short of saying he would demand a trade. Not yet, anyway.

"I don't want to get into that now," he said. "I'm here to accomplish one goal and that's to play for USA Basketball. I'll handle everything else next week.

"I'm going to go (back to Indianapolis) next week sometime and try to figure where my future is with the team."

The U.S. team, now 7-0 in the Olympic qualifying tournament, finishes play on Sunday. The top three teams receive a bid to the 2004 Olympics in Greece.

O'Neal said he heard of Thomas' firing in a telephone call from Thomas. He was taking a nap at the time, and was bewildered by the news.

"I said, 'Hold on, let me sit up a second. Are you kidding me?' " he recalled.

O'Neal said Thomas expressed disappointment rather than anger in their conversation.

O'Neal then called the Pacers' office and talked briefly with CEO Donnie Walsh and president of basketball operations Larry Bird.

Walsh said he told O'Neal to remain focused on USA Basketball and that they would sit down and talk next week.

U.S. coach Larry Brown, a former Pacers coach, said he was "crushed" by word of Thomas' dismissal.

Brown had invited Thomas to accompany the national team as a consultant and scout, a duty Thomas performed during their training camp in New York last week and here in Puerto Rico until he was called back to Indianapolis by the Pacers on Tuesday.

"I understand everybody gets let go," said Brown, who left Philadelphia to sign with Detroit, which fired Rick Carlisle to create an opening. "My biggest concern is the timing. He'd probably be the coach in Detroit (if the decision had been made earlier).

"What better choice with what he's meant to that franchise? When I left Philly there were eight or nine openings. I understand firing, that's everybody's prerogative, but I'm a little concerned about Jermaine and I'm a little concerned about the timing.

"Isiah's meant a lot to our league and he's meant a lot to me. He's made our league better. I just feel bad about it. But I'm confident he'll be back."

O'Neal played one season in Portland when Carlisle, who's expected to replace Thomas, was an assistant there. He offered no opinion of Carlisle, however.

"That was eight years ago," O'Neal said, exaggerating his point. "I don't know what kind of head coach he is."

O'Neal said he talked with Pacers teammates Al Harrington, Jonathan Bender and Jamison Brewer on Wednesday, and that all were stunned and disappointed by the news.

Now he's unclear what the direction of the franchise is.

"We were all geared up to go after this really strong," he said. "Now we have to retool and look at a new system. I mean, I don't know, are we really trying to win a championship this year?"
 

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Originally posted by mattyc2422
When I left Philly there were eight or nine openings. I understand firing, that's everybody's prerogative, but I'm a little concerned about Jermaine and I'm a little concerned about the timing.
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Great minds think alike.;)
 
Hopefully Rick Carlisle can take us to the finals.:)

And I hope Jermaine stays with the Pacers and doesn't ask to be traded, his our future.:)
 
Originally posted by Guey_34

But who are we to doubt Larry Legend, he is the greatest of all-time, isn't he Jod? Speaking of which, update the farking hot 100 already. ;)
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:D Larry Bird is top 10 but we all know who is number 1. Sorry about the top 100, Im fairly busy at the moment.
 
Incidently, Mike Brown, assistant of the Spurs has joined on the staff of the Pacers. Brown was the main guy that believed in Stephen Jackson and turned him from a scrub into a reliable role player.

Thanks Mike.

Mario Elie looks the front runner to replace Brown.
 
Originally posted by Dingster
Well it`s official now. Carlisle was appointed coach at Indiana. It`ll be interesting to see how the team responds.
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Ron Artest is gonna kill somebody.
 

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