Jim O'Brien - Sacrificial Lamb

Jim O'Brien has been hired to coach the Indiana Pacers. What do I honestly think about this hire? I think he's being set up to be a sacrificial lamb. I think the Pacers will be looking at blowing up the team this year and they need a guy to just keep the coaching seat warm. Jim O'Brien fits the bill to a tee. He's the equivalent to former Celtics coach ML Carr but without the personality.

O'Brien should be familiar with ML Carr because Carr was the coach of the Celtics before Rick Pitino (and assistant coach Jim O'Brien) swept into Boston in 1997.

Look at the Pacers team. If you are a Pacers' fan - who do you have to be excited about? You know that Jermaine O'Neal will probably opt out of his contract after next season - so do you really root for that guy? Danny Granger is the best young player but I'm doubting if many people go out and buy season tickets because they just have to see the maturation of Danny Granger. The Pacers don't even have a first round pick in this year's draft to get the fans mildly interested.

The Pacers will probably have to trade O'Neal for a package that includes at least one first rounder and a couple of expiring contracts who will of course chafe at how Jim O'Brien coaches the team and doles out the playing minutes. Trading O'Neal for a package that works in the Pacers' favor may be asking way too much considering that O'Neil's contract almost makes him untradeable in the Salary Cap World of the NBA. If they are lucky they will also be able to package Troy Murphy's contract into some deal.

It should also be pointed out that O'Brien is a defensive minded coach who is not at all opposed to the slow it down offense. In other words - Pacer fans should prepare for some boring games next year.

I think it will be interesting to see if Jim O'Brien gets to name his own assistants. Look for Larry Bird to put in a guy of his own like Chris Ford as an assistant. Then don't be surprised if O'Brien is fired two-thirds into the season next year with Bird's hand-picked bench guy taking over the no-pressure interim job.

Jim O'Brien quit his job in Boston and he only lasted a year in Philly. If he only lasts a year in Indiana - he's all done as an NBA head coach.