Enemy Lines An Opposing Team's Scout Sizes Up The Pacers

"If I had to rank Isiah Thomas with the other 28 coaches in the league, I'd put him in the 14-to-20 range. He communicates well, he understands the game, and his team doesn't make glaring mistakes. He's learning on the job, just like his players....

Isiah's talking about putting in a sophisticated offense drawn from the triangle, John Wooden's high post and Bob Knight's motion. It's a good idea to make players dependent on each other, but that might be too much for these young guys to handle....

My feeling is that they'll be best when they're pushing the ball. Jamaal Tinsley makes too many turnovers in the setup game....

Jonathan Bender is starting to turn the corner. There aren't many big men who handle the ball better, which is why Isiah is asking him to initiate the offense. He's an unselfish 7-foot swingman who can guard smaller, quicker players because he can afford to give them room—if they try to step back and shoot over him, he can close quickly to block shots....

Al Harrington looks pretty good after undergoing major knee surgery last January. He's important for them, he plays with a lot of enthusiasm and he looks ready to have a breakout year....

Jermaine O'Neal doesn't go strong to the basket. Most of his moves are going away to the baseline....

Having Jeff Foster coming off the bench at the two big spots is a luxury. He's extremely active and doesn't force anything....

I like Ron Artest, though I don't buy into the talk that he's a budding Scottie Pippen. He doesn't have Pippen's athleticism and ball handling ability. Pippen was a gazelle, while Artest is more physical....

Let's not forget Reggie Miller, who at 37 is still one of the most productive guys on their team. You see some stars continue to play even as their skills are deteriorating, but I don't think you'll see that with Miller—too much pride."