Former Pacer, now ESPN analyst Antonio Davis critiques his old team

Clifton Brown | IndyStar

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INDIANAPOLIS – Former Pacers forward Antonio Davis, now an ESPN analyst, does not see a quick fix for the Pacers during this pivotal offseason. He agreed with Larry Bird’s decision last month to step down as team president, because Davis thought the Pacers were trending in the wrong direction.

“I thought he should have stepped down,” said Davis, who had a 17-year NBA career that included seven seasons with the Pacers (1993-99), three of them while Bird was the head coach. “To me, you didn’t think out your strategy, starting with firing Frank Vogel as head coach (in 2016). If you’re going to fire Frank Vogel, why hire Nate McMillan, one of his assistants? You need to bring in a whole new staff that’s going to head in another direction. Did you really expect the Pacers to be better this year? Did they give McMillan the players you needed to get better? They made a couple of moves, but not the kind that were going to take you from where they were to another level. I’m not blaming everything on him (Bird), but they’ve been trending down, not trending up. You’re either heading in one direction, or the other.”

The Pacers’ biggest offseason subplot surrounds star forward Paul George, who can become a free agent after next season. The Pacers want George if he wants to stay, but new team president Kevin Pritchard faces the challenge of making offseason moves that will convince George he should commit long-term. While the Pacers can offer George more than any other team, they cannot offer him a five-year, $210 supermax contract at this point because he did not make the all-NBA team.

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Davis said he has not spoken to George about his future, but Davis guessed George ultimately would not re-sign with the Pacers. However, Davis said, the best strategy for Pritchard is to make moves this offseason that will convince George the team can contend in the Eastern Conference next season if he remains as the centerpiece. Pritchard said he met with George for 45 minutes two days after the Pacers were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Pritchard left that meeting optimistic George wanted to stay.

“The starting point is having a conversation with Paul George and saying, ‘Are you open to hearing what I have to say as I put this thing together?' " Davis said. “If he’s open to hearing that, I’m going to execute a plan that shows him immediately, we’re going to be no worse than the middle of the pack of the Eastern Conference. That would at least get Paul George to listen, but they need to make significant moves to keep him interested in staying. A team that’s good enough to lose in the first round isn’t enough.”

Rumors have persisted for months that George, a California native, wants to play in Los Angeles. If the Pacers decide to trade George, either this month as part of a draft deal, or before next year’s trade deadline, there will be plenty of interest.

“I want the Pacers to succeed, but I have a hard time seeing how he stays there,” Davis said. “He could go back to L.A. and help rebuild the Lakers, try to be part of something special. Or go to Boston, or Toronto, an Eastern team that has a chance to knock Cleveland off. Or if I was him, I’d also think about the (Los Angeles) Clippers if they can get him and they can keep Chris Paul. That might be a great deal for the Clippers that’s not great for the Pacers. But maybe the Pacers can get Blake Griffin, do something crazy like get Carmelo Anthony, then find a two-guard. Now you’re trending upward. But right now, they’re not really in the topic of discussion to me, as far as being a contender.

“The Pacers’ message to Paul George should be, if you know you’re not interested in staying, please let us know now, so we can help you go somewhere you want to go, and we can get back what we need to start this rebuilding process. You’re not going to get back a Paul George, but if you get a couple of young guys and a draft pick, you’re heading in the right direction.”

Davis also thinks the NBA finals will be over shortly, meaning every team will soon be in the offseason.

“I do not see it going farther than five games,” Davis said before Game 3. “Golden State has bought into doing whatever it takes to win.”

Follow IndyStar reporter CliftonBrown on Twitter: @CliftonGBrown.