Nate Taylor/IndyStar
One magic trick after another, Larry Bird is remaking the Indiana Pacers. His first trick came Wednesday when he threw a cloak over George Hill, removed it with a flourish, and poof: It’s Jeff Teague!
Then on Thursday, hours before the NBA draft started, Bird put the Pacers’ No. 20 overall pick on the table, sawed it in half and put it back together in the shape of Thaddeus Young.
Just like that – voila! – Bird has improved the Pacers from a middle-of-the-road Eastern Conference team, one that has struggled to keep up with elite opponents in these boomtown days of NBA offense, into a team that will be able to score with anybody.