INDIANAPOLIS — Lance Stephenson grew up watching Jamaal Tinsley dominate on New York City playgrounds, and he eventually did the same.
Now, Stephenson is following in Tinsley’s footsteps again. Tinsley began his NBA career with the Indiana Pacers in 2001 after two years at Iowa State. The Pacers took Stephenson with the 40th overall pick this year after the prep phenom played one year of college ball at Cincinnati.
The Pacers hope Stephenson doesn’t replicate his fellow Brooklyn native’s penchant for finding trouble. Tinsley lived up to lofty expectations before off-the-court problems and injuries derailed a potentially great career with the team.
Stephenson, too, has had issues.
He was one of the nation’s top prospects coming out of Lincoln High School, which had produced first-round picks Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair. But he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after being accused of groping a 17-year-old girl in New York. After a solid year at Cincinnati, he was projected by some to be a first-round pick. He slid, likely because of his issue back home and a reputation for being difficult to coach.
Stephenson is aware of his critics, but he’s focused on moving forward. He’ll take his first steps toward doing so next week in the Orlando summer league.
“It don’t matter what happened in the past,” he said. “It’s what I can do on the court, and that’s help the team win and try to get better.”
Team president Larry Bird said he was shocked that the former Cincinnati star was available in the second round.
“Obviously, we don’t feel like it’s a gamble,” he said. “To get a talent like him at 40 on a young kid that we know has a chance to be very good is something we had to do.”
The Pacers have been reeling since the brawl between Pacers players and Detroit Pistons fans in 2004. In the years following the brawl, the team had numerous brushes with the law, including several involving Tinsley. Bird has spent the past several years trying to clean up the team’s image by shipping troublemakers out, so his selection of Stephenson raised some eyebrows.
Bird researched Stephenson’s situation and decided to take a chance.
“We did a thorough investigation,” he said. “We talked to a lot of people in Cincinnati, and he hasn’t done anything in a long time. He’s fine. He’s a young kid that made mistakes. I made a few myself along the way.
“Everybody deserves a second chance. He understands what we’re trying to do here. We’ve talked about what would happen if something else went wrong.”
Fans will notice another similarity between Stephenson and Tinsley — a scowl. Stephenson said it’s misunderstood.
“In New York, we’re tough,” he said. “We never back down from anything. A lot of people think the angry face means we’re going to hit somebody or something. That’s definitely not what we’re thinking about.”
Stephenson has great respect for Tinsley’s game and reputation back home.
“Great point guard,” he said. “He’s very competitive.”
It’s easy to see why one might take a chance on Stephenson. He’s 6-foot-5 with a powerful physique and handles that earned him the nickname, “Born Ready,” at the famed Rucker Park. He has that moniker tattooed on his right arm.
“I felt like that was a great name for me because when I’m on the court, I think as soon as the ball is tipped, I’m ready,” he said. “I stuck with it.”
Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said he’s going to try Stephenson out at point guard, but he wants him to look to score first.
“Our scouts — we knew right from his time in high school that he’s the kind of guy who can create his own shot, and he has great decision-making ability,” he said. “We think he’s a very talented, strong, hungry individual.”
Stephenson could be part of the answer at point guard for the Pacers. T.J. Ford has fallen out of favor with the team, Earl Watson is a free agent and A.J. Price is injured.
Stephenson appears to be a good fit for Indiana’s fast-break style, but Bird said the youngster has some learning to do.
“We watched him play a lot last year,” he said. “We know he’s a really, really good basketball player, but he’s just 19 years old. It’s going to take some work on his part, our part to try to teach him a lot of things, but if he gets it, he obviously has got the ability to play.”
Stephenson just wants to play. He wasn’t even upset about falling in the draft, instead saying he was just happy to have a chance to make it in the league.
“If coach wants me to be a starter, I’m going to try my best,” he said. “I’m going to try to learn the plays as quick as possible, try to learn how the team wants to be organized. Whatever coach wants me to do, that’s what I’m going to do”