# Pacers fire Isiah Thomas



## onetwo88 (Jul 16, 2002)

InsideHoops.com reports that the Indiana Pacers are letting Isiah Thomas go. They will pay him his final year's salary but will find a new head coach. Aug 27

Link: http://www.insidehoops.com/isiah-thomas-082703.shtml


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## IV (Jul 16, 2002)

So much for Isiah's leadership!


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## such sweet thunder (May 30, 2002)

Here's the follow up on the Pacer's home site.

http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/news_thomas_030827.html


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## D.Spartan (Nov 21, 2002)

WOW.
Looks like Bird will be getting his guy after all.
Rick Carlisle that is.


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## TMOD (Oct 12, 2002)

How will J.O. react?


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## Natty Dreadlockz (Jul 21, 2003)

He won't have much of a choice but to accept it... Peace


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## LionOfJudah (May 27, 2003)

Hopefully JO will want out and demand a trade. Wasn't Isiah a big part in him staying in Indi?


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## The MAgiC (Aug 3, 2003)

Well, that's what he gets.... never stay on a team simply because you like the coach. I can't believe it took them this long to fire the worst coach in NBA history. He still owes us East fans for that All-Star game.... hell, so does O'neal!


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## TheRifleman (May 20, 2002)

I saw this happening. Isiah was a great player, but he cannot coach worth a dang! When I saw him call a time out with his team having the fast break - I KNEW he wouldn't make it as a coach! How stupid was that?

J. O. should be happy to get a coach who knows what he is doing - at least, I would be if I were him!


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## futuristxen (Jun 26, 2003)

No suprise here. Who didn't think Larry was going to fire Isiah eventually?

I thought they'd wait until he screwed up the pacers this year...but this is certainly a wiser move.

Kinda sucks, because I was banking on the Pacers being poorly coached again in my predictions for the eastern conference playoff picture.


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## MillerTime (Jul 6, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>futuristxen</b>!
> No suprise here. Who didn't think Larry was going to fire Isiah eventually?
> 
> I thought they'd wait until he screwed up the pacers this year...but this is certainly a wiser move.
> ...


Isiah Thomas is the most overrated coach ever. He had all the telent in the world with us and he couldn't get us out of the first round. I hated his inconsistant lineups, thankfully he's gone. Thomas is also responsible for killing Austin Croshere. 

I will just go and pray Carlisle is now headed to Indy. Awsome day for Pacers!!


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## Jonathan Watters (Jul 20, 2002)

Isn't it amazing that whatever Isaiah has been involved with has turned to crap the minute he's touched it? 

The Raptors, the CBA, the Pacers in the playoffs...

I've never seen a head coach with less of a clue...

Larry Bird is just using common sense!


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## Louie (Jun 13, 2002)

It's about damm time!!!!:yes:


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## ToddMacCulloch11 (May 31, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Louie</b>!
> It's about damm time!!!!:yes:


I second that.


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## MLKG (Aug 25, 2003)

When Larry Bird left the Pacers he had hand picked/groomed Carlisle to be his successor and recomended him for the job. Management decided to go with another hall of fame player instead. Now Bird is back.... and I would be SHOCKED if he doesn't already have Carlisle waiting in the wings. Much like Joe D. already had Brown lined up when he fired Carlisle.


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## grizzoistight (Jul 16, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>ToddMacCulloch11</b>!
> 
> 
> I second that.



Um yea.. he did so many awful coaching things in the playoffs...
He showed no emotion.. couldnt control artest.. Didnt develop bender.. Didnt let harington become the star that he will be..

Get a real coach.. Like carlisle.. or dominique wilkins


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## jokeaward (May 22, 2003)

First Mooch, now Thomas. If you're gonna fire a coach, why wait a month?

Bird and RC have a meeting already. Wonder how this will wind up? Durr...


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## Jay Marioti (Aug 12, 2003)

Rick Car is overrated but they should do tadbit better.


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## TheRifleman (May 20, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Jay Marioti</b>!
> Rick Car is overrated but they should do tadbit better.


They have to do better than last year's playoffs - losing to the celtics in the <b>FIRST ROUND</b>? However did Thomas pull that off?


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## PetroToZoran (Jul 2, 2003)

Nice move by the Pacers. Hopefully Rod Thorn follows suit and fires Byron Scott! :yes:


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## Nevus (Jun 3, 2003)

It's good to see that Larry really means business here, Isiah was horrible as a coach... I remember in the first round of the playoffs watching the Pacers stand around with the ball and I was going, "Why aren't they running any plays? Why aren't they moving? Why aren't they posting up?" If they had a game plan or a playbook it was obviously a mystery to Isiah as well as the players. 

Maybe JO will get traded to San Antonio or Dallas.


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## Petey (Aug 23, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Cashman</b>!
> Nice move by the Pacers. Hopefully Rod Thorn follows suit and fires Byron Scott! :yes:


Not now, I wanted Carlisle to replace Scott next season... Doh!

-Petey


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## Crossword (Jun 7, 2002)

JO won't be traded. Especially not to San Antonio... who has nobody of equal value to offer except for Duncan, who is like twice as good as Jermaine.

Bird said he's gonna have some talks with him and JO is definately in the Pacers' future.

Larry's trying to improve the team, not make it worse...


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## IV (Jul 16, 2002)

> They have to do better than last year's playoffs - losing to the celtics in the <b>FIRST ROUND</b>? However did Thomas pull that off?


Actually Paul Pierce pulled that off, with one of the best defenders in the NBA guarding Pierce was nothing short of spectacular!


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## schub (Jul 13, 2003)

O'Neal wouldn't have re-signed if he knew Thomas would be fired - San Francisco Chronicle



> "I don't know who I would have signed with, but I would not have signed back there. Bottom line."
> 
> "Am I disappointed? Hell, yeah. I'm extremely disappointed for multiple reasons," O'Neal said. "I was told he would be here before I re-signed."
> 
> "If your boss told you your ace is going to be there for you if you come back, and once you come back not even a month later he's not there, that hurts. That hurts a lot. He was more than a coach to me. He was like a father."


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## Petey (Aug 23, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>IV</b>!
> 
> 
> Actually Paul Pierce pulled that off, with one of the best defenders in the NBA guarding Pierce was nothing short of spectacular!


PP is surely money, so clutch. I would agree he was as much reason for going on if not more then Thomas' coaching.

-Petey


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## Petey (Aug 23, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>schub</b>!
> O'Neal wouldn't have re-signed if he knew Thomas would be fired - San Francisco Chronicle


Yeah that is interesting, I wonder how that will unfold.

-Petey


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## NYCbballFan (Jun 8, 2003)

I wonder what Dumars would have done if Isiah Thomas was on the open market? I would guess he'd hire Brown anyway, but I'm sure there would have been some pressure to hire Thomas. Maybe Thomas should return to Detroit, join Brown's staff and apprentice for a while as an assistant coach. 

Was it a coincidence that Thomas was fired while O'Neal was stuck in Puerto Rico? Tricking O'Neal into resigning with the Pacers is cruel. I feel bad for him (well, as bad as you can for a young man living a dream and making a few tons of cash) but I think he'll get over it. Carlisle is an upgrade as a coach. He just needs to pamper his star a little and put the house in order, and things will be fine in Indy.


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## Scott (Jan 15, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>IV</b>!
> 
> 
> Actually Paul Pierce pulled that off, with one of the best defenders in the NBA guarding Pierce was nothing short of spectacular!


Actually Artest didn't even guard PP half the time. When ever Harrington was in he was gaurding Peirce. Maybe Isaih Thomas' bad coaching had something to do with that.


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