It’s part of TrueHoop network.

Anyways, here is the interview:

Josh Dhani: Were you surprised by Vince Carter being traded?

Marc Ginocchio: Not really. The Nets had already dismantled their core from the past few years in the Kidd and Jefferson trades, and Carter was next in line to go. In these kinds of salary dumps, you never expect to get equal talent back, but I do think the Nets did a good job in getting some expiring contracts with actual worth like Rafer Alston, and Courtney Lee is an interesting young player who just hasn’t found his stroke yet in the early going.

JD: The Nets haven’t gone off to a good start at 0-10, are you surprised of what they have done so far?

MG: Well, I don’t think anyone expected the Nets to be a good team this season, but I also think they’ve been a little snake-bitten with all of the injuries they’ve experienced. For the better part of a week, they’ve been running out a rotation with 8 healthy guys because they have no other options. Last week, 4/5 of their starting 5 was out with injuries, and they just got Chris Douglas-Roberts back after becoming the first player in the NBA to be diagnosed with the swine flu.

JD: Which players should the Pacers look out for in the game?

MG: I guess it depends on who’s suiting up in time for the game. I think if he’s fully recovered and has his legs back under him, Chris Douglas-Roberts can take over a game offensively if given the chance. Obviously Brook Lopez is a nice young center, though he seems to have a hard time going up against big strong centers, so I’ll be curious to see how he matches up with Hibbert.

JD: The Nets have proven they can win games like they did against the Heat, falling by one point with the heroics of Dwayne Wade. Do you expect a turnaround?

MG: The Nets have lost quite a few games recently on their final possession. I’d like to say that there’s some hope and that there luck will turnaround, but the bottom line is the Nets need to get healthy. It’s going to be hard for them to pull any games out when their most talented players are on the bench in suits.

JD: Brook Lopez has been great all season right now, what are your expectations for him this season?

MG: Brook’s numbers are a little deceiving, which is not to say he hasn’t done a good job this season, but let’s just say there’s plenty of room for improvement. He’s been guilty of playing too far away from the basket in the early part of the season. While it’s nice that he has 18-20 foot range on his jumper, it would be even more dangerous if he got most of his touches down low with the occasional pick and pop set mixed in to keep teams honest. I think Brook has been hurt more than anyone by Devin Harris’ injury, since those two really seemed to be developing some chemistry in the pick and roll.

JD: Are there any strengths for New Jersey? Any weaknesses?

MG: With the roster they’ve been rolling out there recently, I can’t really come up with any strengths. They can’t shoot. They’re not athletic. They’ve been smarter guarding the  perimeter recently, so I guess that’s a positive step. But they really need guys like Trenton Hassell, Eduardo Najera or Sean Williams to have career-games to even stand a chance right now, and that’s asking a lot for guys who would be 12th men on most other NBA rosters.

JD: Who is the X-Factor for New Jersey in the game?

MG: After his play on Saturday, I’d say Sean Williams. The guy is an athletic freak, but a bit of a headcase and sports a low basketball IQ. But something happened Saturday night where he was forced into playing time in the second half, and he really turned the game around and put the Nets in position to win (until Wade hit the buzzer beater). Nets coach Lawrence Frank said he’s still not sold on Williams, but the guy needs to get another look against the Pacers just to see if he turned a corner.

JD: What’s your predicted record for the Nets this year?

MG: Before the season started, I thought 30-52 was fair. But now, after this start, it’s harder to guess. I’m going to be positive and say they pull a few games out unexpectedly and end up with 24 wins.

JD: Last question: LeBron is entering free agency after this year. Do you think the Nets have a good chance of landing the athletic forward?

MG: As for LeBron, and really all of the big free agents next summer, I will say I truly believe the Nets have just as much a chance as the Knicks to sign one of these guys. With that said, I think a lot of fans in the New York area are going to be disappointed next summer. I believe LeBron stays in Cleveland, Wade stays in Miami, and maybe, maybe Bosh leaves Toronto. I only say this because of the way the NBA designed the system. The Cavs, Heat and Raptors, can all offer their FAs the most money, so why would they leave? If I could use this as an opportunity to rip the Knicks (a pastime of mine), I think it’s really dumb for an organization to build their roster focused on signing a free agent on another team. At least in the Nets case, they stripped down their roster, but through the draft and through trades, they acquired nice young players in Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams. Between the lottery pick they’re probably going to get this year, and their cap space going into next summer, my hopes is the Nets can round out their roster with strong, complimentary pieces, preferably in the frontcourt where the team has lacked real depth for years.

I appreciate Mark for stopping by and answering my questions. I look forward to do more interviews with him when the Nets and Pacers face each other again. I also hope to do interviews with other sites.

Look out for that.

And again, I appreciate Mark for answering my questions. Please check out his site at netsarescorching.com!

Click here to see The Pacers Years: Jermaine O’Neal

Hello all and welcome to the second part in my tale of great Pacers players. Today, I discuss Ron Artest’s career with Indy.

2001

It all began during the 2001-02 NBA season. Artest was currently with the Chicago Bulls, making a name for himself.

It was on Feburary 19, 2002, when Ron Artest was traded to the Indiana Pacers for Jalen Rose, Travis Best, and Norm Richardson. Brad Miller, Ron Mercer, and Kevin Ollie were the others along with Artest to be traded to the Pacers in the seven-player trade.

From Chicago Bulls official website:

“We are excited to acquire two players the caliber of Jalen Rose and Travis Best,” said Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jerry Krause.

“We feel Jalen is an outstanding all-around player who can play three positions offensively and defensively. He’s a very good passer, extremely unselfish, a fine scorer and in the prime of his career at age 29. His leadership qualities and versatility are an added plus.

“Travis is a proven scorer and defender and, at 29, also in his prime. We hated to trade Artest, Miller, Mercer and Ollie, but to get quality you have to give quality. One of the reasons we felt we could part with Artest and Mercer is the continuing outstanding play of rookie Trenton Hassell at both ends of the court. We think that in Eddy Curry and Dalibor Bagaric we have two big, young centers who will be valuable for many years to come.”

Artest looked to be a great contributor and have a key role when he arrives in Indy. During the last 28 games of the season in which Artest played with the Pacers, he had averages of about eleven points, five rebounds, and about two assists per game as the Pacers went 42-40 that year, eventually losing in the first round to the New Jersey Nets.

Artest looked to accomplish his goal next year of winning a NBA ring.

2002

Artest was looking to improve this year after last year’s performance with the Pacers. Artest averaged about 16 points, about five rebounds, about two assists, and about one block per game with Indy during the 2002-03 season.

During that year, the Pacers went 48-34 and made the playoffs, being in second place in the Central Division. But the Pacers ended up as a first-round exit once again, losing to the Boston Celtics by 4-2 in the series. Although the Pacers failed that year, there is still some hope.

And Artest was there to prove it.

2003

Artest had a great year in the 2003-04 season. He averaged about 18 points, about five rebounds, about four assists, and about one block per game. With these impressive stats, Artest won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, proving that he is was building a big name for himself on the Pacers and the whole league.

Ron Artest edged out Ben Wallace when he was with the Detroit Pistons that year by about 100 votes. Here were the votes tallied for the award:

2003-04 NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR RESULTS

Player, Team	1st	2nd	3rd	Pts
Ron Artest, Indiana	80	20	16	476
Ben Wallace, Detroit	26	61	12	325
Theo Ratliff, Portland	8	10	20	90
Bruce Bowen, San Antonio	4	10	26	76
Andrei Kirilenko, Utah	2	12	21	67
Kevin Garnett, Minnesota	0	7	15	36
Tim Duncan, San Antonio	0	1	5	8
Clifford Robinson, Golden State	1	0	0	5
Kenyon Martin, New Jersey	0	0	2	2
James Posey, Memphis	0	0	1	1
Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers	0	0	1	1
Shaquille O’Neal, L.A. Lakers	0	0	1	1
Earl Watson, Memphis	0	0	1	1

Not only was Artest commanding that year, so was his team. The Pacers went 61-21 that year, being number one in the Central Division and the entire league. The Pacers were being very aggressive this year and were looking to bring that same momentum, if not more, in the playoffs.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Although they did sweep Boston in the first round, then beat the Heat 4-2 in the second round, the Conference Finals was depressing. They lost to the Detroit Pistons 4-2 in the series, but they fought hard. It was a great year, as Artest and his fellow teammate, Reggie Miller, will enter their last year with the Pacers franchise.

2004

During Ron’s last year in the 2004-05 NBA season, Artest was  averaging about 25 points, about seven rebounds, about three assists, and about one block per game with the team. But he only played seven games. Why so little? During a game against the Detroit Pistons, a brawl happened which was known as “Malace at the Palace.”

Here was a conversation Artest had ESPN’s Jim Gray:

Jim Gray: What happened that led up to this [brawl]?

Ron Artest: I thought it was an OK foul. The refs told me it wasn’t a technical and it wasn’t a flagrant. I think [Ben] Wallace’s reaction was too much. I don’t mind him pushing me. But he also caught me in my nose. I’m not sure what will happen regarding that … I was lying on the table when Wallace threw a towel at me. I got up and then was lying down again when I got hit with a liquid, ice and glass container on my chest and on my face. After that it was self defense.

JG: Did anyone from security or police talk to you?

RA: They came in to ask me if I needed [medical] help. I just thanked them to help me get out of the building. … I can’t say anything else on the advice of [Pacers CEO/president Donnie Walsh].

It was truly just a crazy brawl. It was one of the craziest things the world of the NBA fans witnessed.

Said Bucknut248 in a comment of the video above:

The fight that killed the pacers franchise…. from contender to pretender in just like that.

I agree. It was truly just crazy but it was also the Pistons fault as well during the game. Both teams never took control of their actions and emotions. What they did was stupid. And that was what caused Artest to be suspended for the whole year, and leave the Pacers the next year.

2005

Actually, Ron Artest stayed with the Pacers during the 2005-06 season, but not fully. Artest only played 16 games for the team. President Larry Bird said Artest must go.

Artest was off playing for the Sacramento Kings, then for the Houston Rockets in the 2008-09 season. Artest is currently on the Los Angeles Lakers as he appears that he will be starting at small forward and being a replacement for Trevor Ariza.

Although the brawl had ruined his Pacers career.

Let’s not forgot what he has done for them, for all these years.