2010-2011 Finish: 25-57

What went bad

The Pacers are a bad team. However, they have one of the most colorful GMs in the league. Imagine a Mark Cuban in reverse, a guy who creates a Twitter account for his fantasy basketball team and you have GM Sheed.

But this season proved that Sheed may have stumbled into defining the Pacers for the next decade. It is the year that the Gilbert Arenas for Blake Griffin deal proved to be magical. Let's forget all the deals (including getting dragging poor Tim Duncan down to this perennial cellar dweller) and focus on Griffin. Rookie of the Year. Future of the club. Pacers fans are holding their breath that Sheed doesn't go and trade the big fella sometime this coming season.

The biggest problem with Indiana, as exhibited this past season, is that GM Sheed doesn't know how to keep it in his pants. He needs to rebuild. As names such as Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Matt Barnes, Brad Miller, Jason Terry and Andre Miller came in and out of the clubhouse and replaced by Duncan and Caron Butler- who will likely never suit up for the Bouncy Brazilian, Sheed needs to take a breath and rebuild. Get guys like Blake Griffin. Get guys like Eric Gordon. Don't trade guys like DJ Augustin. But until Sheed realizes that going Hollywood isn't the way to go, he will never win. Duncan's $21.3 million contract can sure pay a lot of good, young players.

What went worse

Look at the record.

Star

- Blake Griffin-

Griffin played in all 82 games this season, with 19.2ppg and 11 rpg. Though missed the entire season before with a broken kneecap, this year was well worth the wait. He was awarded the Rookie of the Year.


Goats

- The Pacers –

The team has only won more than 40 games once in its entire history and that was long before Sheed came along. Most of the time they finish much, much worse.




Looking to the future

Where to begin? Caron Butler will be long gone via free agency. The team basically has Duncan, Gordon and Griffin. If Sheed was smart, he'd cut his losses now, move Duncan to a contender and start the rebuilding process. He has enough money to get some good, young guys on the free agent market, but Indiana's losing tradition will scare many of them away. Trading wisely is the thing to do here. But will it happen?

In the draft, Sheed may have grabbed his point guard of the future in Kentucky freshman Brandon Knight. Basketball-smart, but a little rusty, Knight could possibly mature into a player much like ex-Pacer Jason Terry. Only time will tell, but this team really does need some help.