The 6-foot-5, 230-pound point wing may want the Indiana Pacers, but he isn't what they need.
Lance Stephenson, good, bad, or otherwise, is whatever he is in the moment largely because of those who are around him. Two seasons ago, the erratic wing was the benefactor of a budding star's gravitational pull, a veteran's highly efficient pick-and-pop shooting, a malleable guard's willingness to wait in the corner, a center's ability to erase his mistakes at the rim, and his coach's abundantly generous leeway. Within the bounds of this highly favorable environment, Stephenson's defensive miscues were minimized while the full-force of his dynamic driving was maximized, as his 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists per game on 49 percent shooting nearly earned him an All-Star selection.