Although Artest is a former NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and although as of Dec. 10 he led the team in plus/minus (meaning, the Pacers outscored opponents the most when Artest was on the floor), CEO and President Donnie Walsh could barely start accepting offers before O’Neal said, in so many words, that Artest shouldn’t let the door hit him on the butt on the way out.

If Artest caused that many problems, maybe it’s good for the Pacers’ mental health that he goes. But that still doesn’t solve the Jackson problem. Artest’s erracticness could be explained by legitimate mental health issues. Artest has said in the past that doctors wanted to treat him for such problems, but that he would always flush his medicine down the toilet. But we don’t know what Jackson’s excuse is.

Jackson has sulked as the third option (behind O’Neal and Artest) in Carlisle’s offense, his scoring average dropping from a career-high 18.7 last season to 14.2 so far this year. In an early-season 87-85 home loss to pathetic Atlanta, Jackson indistinguished himself by -- twice -- fumbling an inbounds pass because he was busy tying his shoes. (Somebody get him some Velcro-strap kicks.) He also got into a heated argument with O’Neal on the court.

At first, freed of the ball-hogging Artest after Walsh put him on the inactive list following his trade demand, Jackson’s fog appear to lift. He lit up Washington for 30 points in a 111-87 victory on Dec. 8. But the problems of moving Jackson to small forward from shooting guard in Artest’s absence became apparent Dec. 14 against Boston, when Paul Pierce torched him for 25 points, and held him to 5-for-20 shooting, in Boston’s 85-71 victory.

The many trade rumors swirling around Artest -- at last count, Walsh said he had heard from at least 15 teams -- involve at least one scorer heading Indiana’s way. That’s sure to send Jackson sulking again. This is a man who is not happy unless he gets some guarantee of control -- like in September, when he left his bride at the altar, literally, when she wouldn’t sign a prenuptial agreement.

Perhaps it’s a bit much for the sensitive, emotional O’Neal to keep loose cannons such as Jackson in line. But given he’s the Pacers’ main man, that’s his job. And Croshere intimated earlier in the year he wasn’t doing it so well.

“This team needs to step up and find some leadership and stop doing these things,” Croshere said after a 32-point loss to lowly Charlotte.

O’Neal, of course, objected to Croshere’s criticism, though he was too classy to point out that Croshere’s got quite some nerve for a $8 million-a-year scrub considered one of the worst big-money signings of the new millennium.

Certainly, Miller, wise old veteran he was, commanded the players’ respect better than O’Neal has so far. Miller also provided a buffer between the players and Carlisle, who this year is showing how he got fired in Detroit despite two straight 50-win seasons. Though the Pacers have scored more than 100 points on occasion, Carlisle’s milk-the-clock offensive philosophy makes you think that if there were no shot clock, he’d run Dean Smith’s four-corner stall the moment Indiana led by four. The offense goes through O’Neal, which is fine, but often the play is an isolation for O’Neal as everyone else stands around, which isn’t.

Of course, you have to give Carlisle a bit of a break. After a fairly smooth first season with Indiana, in which it reached the Eastern Conference finals before losing to eventual champion Detroit, the last two seasons have been nothing but turmoil. Last year, it was the suspensions; this year, it’s been injuries. Center Jeff Foster has played only six games, point guard Jamaal Tinsley has missed six games, and Croshere and Artest are among others who have missed multiple games with nagging injuries.

Meanwhile, it’s been hinted that 7-footer Jonathan Bender, who broke Michael Jordan’s scoring record in the McDonald’s High School All-American Game but has rarely stayed healthy in five-plus NBA seasons, will retire at the ripe old age of 24. At the least, his house in Carmel, Ind., is for sale. Bender was hyped as the next Garnett, but instead he was the poor man’s Ralph Sampson -- a player whose tall, spindly build couldn’t handle the NBA grind.

It’s not all doom and gloom for Indiana, even if it appears that between its turmoil and Detroit’s fast start, its chances of getting to the NBA Finals looks dim. Indiana, entering Friday’s game against Utah, was 12-8, tied for second in the tough Central Division. The Pacers are 2-1 since Artest made his trade demand, and it may well be that they can get enough in return for Artest to make up for his loss. Injured players, other than Bender, are getting healthy again. Even if a championship season has been dashed, a 50-win season is certainly not out of the question.

But then again, as the world turns for the Pacers, you just never know. Tune in tomorrow!

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