Pacers' Pair of Picks Provides Possible Path to Promise Land (80 views)

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Indianapolis, IN (AP) – The moment has arrived in Hoosier-land. Ever since the franchise sent shockwaves across the state by trading native son and god-like being Larry freakin’ Bird to Canada of all places, fans have been focused on one thing: the 3026 draft. Contrary to claims made in the Hokey Pokey, this is what it is all about for Pacers fans. If management was going to trade the Bird man, they needed to hit big on picks 2 and 3 in this draft to make it worthwhile. Now that they are on the clock, what will they do?

Flash back to that night in 3023 when the unthinkable happened: Larry Bird was betrayed by his home state’s professional basketball team and kicked to the curb. GM Herb Simon approached Bird who was putting up some shots on the rickety old hoop at his family farm in Terre Haute, as good Indiana boys are wont to do, and told him to pack his bags because he was heading to Canada. Bird was devastated. Indiana was all he had ever known. He didn’t even know how to ride a moose let alone build an igloo or lead a dog sled.

Fans across the Hoosier state were equally devastated when the news began to trickle across the state. There were calls for Simon’s job. The anger subsided briefly when the new look Pacers made a run to the TMBSL finals last year before losing to the Rockets in 7 games. However, once the playoffs were over, the focus once again turned to the 3026 draft and who the team was going to draft to make trading Bird worth it.

With the expiring contract of Giannis Antetokounmpo looming, the Pacers could look completely different come 3026. Early in the season, rumors were swirling that management was open to trading key players such as Justise Winslow and Frank Ntilikina, but nothing has come of that with the trade deadline approaching. However, the team currently sits at the 6 seed in the East and a fresh start may be just what the doctor ordered.

A propaganda laden mock draft was released by the Simon owned media group The Cuban Report in which it suggests the Pacers would select Hassan Whiteside at 1.2 and Paul George at 1.3. However, many across TMBSL doubted the authenticity of the report and questioned the true intentions of the release and its questionable timing. If the mock draft was legitimate, it begs the question: why haven’t the second and third picks been posted? What is Indiana Pacers general manager Herb Simon waiting for?

Sources have said the Pacers have sent scouts out to take a deep dive into many of the top prospects available, suggesting that they themselves have doubts about Whiteside and George as the picks. Players like Tiny Gallon, Stanley Robinson, John Wall, and Derrick Favors are the likely candidates if they Pacers go in a different direction. While it remains to be seen who the team ultimately selects with their picks, one thing is for certain: both management and the players will be under a lot of pressure to perform and make the Bird trade worthwhile.