JO Flashes Frustration

The Pacers officially hit their first patch of adversity last night in Boston, dropping their second game in a row while being outplayed and outworked. So, what happens when the going gets tough? Well, the Pacers' tough guy starts deflecting the blame. Instead of taking his frustrations to a mirror for a good look, JO went to the coach's office for a closed door discussion with Carlisle and Larry Joe Legend. According to Mike Wells in the Indy Star, the discussion escalated to shouting that could be heard in the hallway. Fortunately, JO didn't discuss the meeting after leaving the office. Mr. Wells has an update on the situation over at the Pacer Insider blog and doesn't seem to be minimizing the issue.

So, here we are again with plenty of talk from JO about leadership, yet left with his actions to prove he's not yet up to the task. When the team is winning and playing well, it is easy to share the ball and run over to help a teammate up off the floor. But, champions are able to dig down and lead their team through adversity. JO is a max contract guy. He's the franchise player, which he boasts of proudly. He can't be pouring gas on a flamable situation. I mean we're talking about three really bad quarters of play from the past two losses. Step back and analyze the situation and figure out a way to be part of the solution. And, please, stop talking about it.

(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)