The NBA season is less than two weeks old, and Isiah Thomas already is whining about his critics.
Thomas, entering his third year as coach of the Indiana Pacers, has been called a coach on the hot seat by a number of preseason prognosticators. Thomas already has taken some shots back.
“I find it all interesting, because it wasn’t like we were losing [last year]. We went to the playoffs,” Thomas said. “[To talk like that] as opposed to understanding what this team has accomplished? We’re the youngest team to go to the playoffs since 1977. … You’re asking the youngest team to go to the NBA Finals? I hope if we do, they’ll give us credit.”
Few expect the Pacers to win the Eastern Conference title. It does seem, however, that Pacers fans have been spoiled by a previous level of success and are having a hard time accepting the concept of trying to rebuild on the fly. There’s a sort of ambivalence about Thomas’ team in Indianapolis; the Pacers couldn’t even sell out their home opener despite the fact that it was against the Houston Rockets and No. 1 draft pick Yao Ming.
Club President Donnie Walsh, who hired Thomas over former Pacers assistant Rick Carlisle and former Pacers player Byron Scott, has not wavered in his support for Thomas. Neither has his most important player.
“It upsets me when I read about Isiah being on the hot seat,” Jermaine O’Neal said. “He’s done a tremendous job. I couldn’t even think of playing for anybody else if I’m going to be here.”
