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JMV is joined by Kevin Bowen to discuss all Indiana sports. They talk all things Colts and Pacers including Chris Ballard, Frank Reich, the Colts, the transformation over the last year, training camp questions, and more things around the NFL, the Pacers’ potential NBA draft picks, off-season moves, and Victor Oladipo.

On the Colts transformation over the last year:

“I think about the questions that we had entering training camp last year and the questions we have entering training camp this year. Think of a head-to-head position battle that we have going into training camp. Maybe Anthony Walker against Bobby Okereke? Maybe? And that is pretty good, it is a returning starter against a third round pick. It is not like it is Jon Bostic and (insert) sixth round linebacker that you drafted. It is not as dire from a roster stand point. I’m not sure if I said it with you, but I think the biggest takeaway I have coming out of the spring is just the balance, the level across every position group and you don’t look at one and think it is the biggest, most dramatic need on your roster. There is not that glaring need going into camp. Clearly there are questions. Depth at linebacker, can your safeties stay healthy, can the number two receiver finally emerge and even going into the number three wide-out and the number four wide-out as well. But, you know what your starting o-line looks like, you pretty much know what your starting d-line looks like, you feel good about the top end depth at corner, and Andrew Luck is healthy. I just don’t go into training camp with a lot of major questions. Yes, injuries are going to arrive and that is going to open up more questions for you but right now, it is a team that you don’t have an ‘ohmy gosh’ what are the Colts going to do there.

On what he wants to see the Pacers do in the off-season:

“You need another creator, you need a guy can create his own shot and score. That is why I laughed when I saw the Ricky Rubio stuff earlier today because that just doesn’t do it for me to any degree. He can’t shoot, he needs a whole lot of talent around him to be an effective player, and his teams have done nothing of note. Whether it is Minnesota, or Utah. Whereas I look at a guy like Russell, still incredibly young, former number two overall pick, has been turned away by two franchises, that would be sort of similar to the chip that you have on Victor Oladipo’s shoulder. I think those guys could both play on or off the ball. I worry a bit about how effective Russell could be off the ball, but he’s a guy that, like you said,averaged 21, he also averaged seven assists. That is a very high number. When you hear, you always hear from Kevin Prichard, more three point shooting, more pace this summer but he has also thrown in there another guy that can create. I don’t know if you’re going to find an all-star caliber player that is 23-22 years old that can create on the open market like D’Angelo Russel can. Those guys just don’t hit free agency that often. I would definitely do it.”

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