Larry Brown and Mark Jackson, a combination that helped the Los Angeles Clippers reach the playoffs in 1993, are together again.
In a deal agreed to Wednesday but announced Thursday, the Pacers sent Pooh Richardson, forward Malik Sealy and the rights to Eric Piatkowski to the Clippers for Jackson and the rights to Greg Minor."When Larry coached him with the Clippers, he really liked his play. We both like him a lot," Pacers general manager Donnie Walsh said of the 6-foot-1 Jackson, whom the Pacers hope will be the point guard that takes Indiana forward after the franchise's most successful NBA since entering the league in 1976.
"There aren't a lot of penetrating guards in our league. That allows the defense to be a lot tougher," Walsh said. "Mark's got the ability to penetrate. He doesn't penetrate in the sense of just blowing by people, but somehow he gets by people. He gets inside, and he can make plays."
Walsh said Jackson will take "a commanding type attitude" toward the point position.
"He is a true floor general who is going to take the point guard position and make a commanding type of attitude toward it."
Walsh said the trade was good for both teams.
Richardson, also a point guard who like Jackson is being traded for the second time, played collegiately at UCLA. He began his career with Minnesota and started for the Pacers during the 1992-93 season before having a series of medical problems that limited him to only 37 games n 1993-94.
Richardson was not on the team's playoff roster when Indiana advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time, losing to the New York Knicks in seven games after taking a 3-2 advantage in the series.
"Pooh has appeal to them because he's from LA. They are revamping their team. He had some fan identity," Walsh said. "Piatkowski was the guy that they identified at that pick (15th), and he would have been the guy that had there not been a trade, that we would have picked. They got three good young players."