The Indiana Pacers were eliminated in a blowout Game 6 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday night. The game wasn’t close from the start, as LeBron James and Co. responded in a big way. In what would have otherwise been an uneventful elimination game for the Pacers, turned into a team that didn’t meet expectations having to talk about one Lance Stephenson.
By now, you know a vast majority of the story. Stephenson had been in the ear of the media all series long, mostly focusing on James. Indicating that the two-time NBA Champion needed to utilize trash talking in order to mask weaknesses on the court (via SI.com). Still not sure what weaknesses Stephenson was talking about, but I digress.
Then the young Pacers guard attempted to get into James’ mind by blowing into his ear in a Game 5 victory for Indiana. It seemed to be nothing more than a childish antic from someone that knew he was overmatched. Nonetheless, it became a craze around the social media and basketball world.
Following Stephenson’s Game 5 antics, ESPN released a report that indicated Indiana wasn’t sold on Stephenson as a long-term option for the team.
Overall, the team noticed a shift in Stephenson from a more team-oriented approach to a more self-oriented focus, where he started obsessing about his statistics. People within the team believed his upcoming free agency was also a motivating factor for Stephenson, who wanted to enhance his value, something he believed suffered when he didn’t get an All-Star nod.
Teammates had also grown tired of Stephenson’s anticles, with Roy Hibbert pointing the finger his way when indicating that some Pacers players were selfish. In reality, he became nothing more than a distraction for a team that had an ultimate goal of bringing home the NBA Championship.
Then, everything seemed to boil over in Game 6 against the Heat. After acknowledging that Pacers president Larry Bird had spoken with him about his Game 5 antics, Stephenson took the sideshow to a whole new level.
As presented by our friends at Next Impulse Sports, Stephenson was involved in multiple incident Friday night.
That simply cannot happen on a NBA court at anytime, especially when your team is facing elimination on the road against the two-time defending NBA champions. Talk about waking a sleeping giant. In this, Stephenson let his team down a great deal.
Star Pacers forward Paul George didn’t exactly show support for Stephenson after the 25-point loss.
Paul George, asked if he wants Lance on his side next year: "I mean, I don't know."
— Izzy Gutierrez (@IzGutierrez) May 31, 2014
That speaks volumes about how a team feels about a specific player, especially if it is coming from the best player on the team. While some will say George threw his teammate under a bus, you have to realize just how upset he had to be at Stephenson throughout what was a frustrating night for the Pacers.
Moving forward, Stephenson is likely going to be calling a new city home this fall. He’s an unrestricted free agent and has made it clear through actions alone that he wants to be paid. A payday the Pacers don’t seem willing to give him.
Teams that could be potential fits for the talented youngster need to look at what has become a pattern when assessing whether Stephenson is worth the headache. Is he willing to change course or is this the new Stephenson? Those are two big questions that teams in need of an upgrade at the two or three will have to ask themselves.
If Stephenson’s 2013-2014 season, which culminated in pathetic displays of immaturity over the past week, is any indication…teams should consider looking in another direction. It’s that simple.
Photo: Dimemag.com