Indiana Pacers GM Discusses PF Situation, Magnum Rolle, TJ Ford and More

On Wednesday, September 23rd, Indiana Pacers general manager David Morway spoke at a private Pacers event about the team's future plans, goals, and the status of the organization as far as roster goes.  I had the pleasure of attending the event and take several notes.  Here are a few things Mr. Morway focused on.

On Team Goals for the 2010-2011 NBA Season

The Pacers were once a long-time winning franchise, but have been trying to rebuild in the last couple of years.  Morway indicated that it has been a challenge to rebuild a team like the Pacers since it is uncommon for teams to experience success for very long stretches like the Pacers had. 

Regardless, Morway feels the team is at a point where the pieces are put together to make the Pacers a winning team.  So when asked about the team's goals for the coming season, Morway responded, "The goal is to make the playoffs.  We have to make to make the playoffs."

The Pacers organization is counting on an increased leadership role in Danny Granger, who is coming off a trip to Turkey where he competed internationally for team USA. 

Morway told the public that "Danny has a chip on his shoulder," when asked about his lack of playing time with team USA, but also said that he was very grateful to have been part of the gold medal team. 

Morway believes it was beneficial for Danny to spend time with other young stars that are taking franchise player duties with their respective teams like Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, and Derrick Rose.

The development of Roy Hibbert will also play a big role in the Pacer's success according to Morway.  Morway mentioned Hibbert is down to 10 percent body fat, looks much stronger, and has spent the summer working out with Bill Walton.

As far as the Pacers' latest trade that brought Darren Collison to Indiana, Morway said that Collison was at the top of the team's list and he believed he was the perfect player available for the Pacers system.  They are counting on Collison to lead a very talented group of players on the court.

On Status of Magnum Rolle

As of today, Magnum Rolle remains unsigned by the Indiana Pacers.

Throughout the night, Morway mentioned several times how the team was excited about their young players, especially their new rookies.  When asked about Magnum Rolle, Morway mentioned the team has tried to get involved in trade scenarios or releasing players to clear a space for Rolle.

Morway also said that come training camp, Rolle will also have the chance to prove himself once again and ultimately forcing the team to make a decision quickly.  Morway concluded the topic by saying that "the best 15 players will be in the final roster."

On Status of TJ Ford

Rumors circled the web indicating that the Indiana Pacers were trying to buy out TJ Ford's contract to make a space for Magnum Rolle.  It was reported that Ford would not accept such deal and rather make his $8.5 million due for next season.

Morway was selective with his answer to questions about Ford and opted to say, "I believe the media misunderstood the TJ Ford situation." 

He went on to describe that although there were talks, the team was not trying to push the guard out the door, but trying to get on the same page as far as expectations go.

The team expects TJ Ford to come ready for training camp to challenge for the team's backup point guard position.  He will probably be fighting AJ Price and Lance Stephenson for the spot. 

Morway showed appreciation for Ford's ability as point guard and said, "If he stays, he becomes one of the best backup point guards in the league."

On Power Forward Situation

The Pacers are coming into the 2010-2011 season with depth at almost every position.  The position of most concern is the power forward position.  Currently on the roster, the team has Josh McRoberts and Tyler Hansbrough as their only true power forwards. 

They also have the services of Solomon Jones and Jeff Foster who are able to play the position as well.

Morway indicated that the team will experiment with their young guys to decide on who the bulk of the minutes would go to.  He believes it will be up to grabs between McRoberts, Hansbrough, and Magnum Rolle. 

He also said that Danny Granger will play as power forward, as he did for Team USA this summer. 

It seems like the question remains unanswered, but by looking at the Pacers' options, they have a lot of pieces to try and not much reason to believe that all will fail.