- Publish date:
11 PACERS
The Pacers lost a lot by trading away Paul George. They lost their best scorer, their best defender and their best creator. Not only will Indiana have to figure out how to make up for all of George's contributions, but on a more rudimentary level it will also have to figure out which players will take the 1,348 shots—the fifth-most in the franchise's NBA history—that George hoisted last season.
The roster lacks a go-to scorer. Victor Oladipo will almost certainly volunteer for the job, but as a career 43.4% marksman he hasn't proved he's ready for the role. In fact, he barely succeeded as a sidekick to Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City.
A more intriguing option is Myles Turner, 21, a third-year center with All-Star potential. He significantly improved his touch last year, hitting 51.1% of his shots. While primarily a midrange threat, he also developed a three-pointer, making 40 treys, up from three as a rookie. At 6'11" and 243 pounds, Turner also has the size to bang down low when necessary.
The Pacers' immediate outlook is far from good, but turning Turner into the No. 1 option on offense will at least speed the way to being a foundational piece.
PROJECTED LINEUP
2016--17 STATS
COACH NATE MCMILLAN
(2nd season with Pacers)
2016--17 RECORD 42--40
(3rd in Central)
PG DARREN COLLISON [NEW ACQUISITION]
13.2 PPG; 4.6 APG; 47.6 FG%; 41.7 3FG%
77 [THE CROSSOVER TOP 100 RANKING]
SG VICTOR OLADIPO [NEW ACQUISITION]
15.9 PPG; 4.3 RPG; 44.2 FG%; 36.1 3FG%
SF BOJAN BOGDANOVICH [NEW ACQUISITION]
13.7 PPG; 3.4 RPG; 44.5 FG%; 36.7 3FG%
PF THADDEUS YOUNG
11.0 PPG; 6.1 RPG; 1.5 SPG; 52.7 FG%
68 [THE CROSSOVER TOP 100 RANKING]
C MYLES TURNER
14.5 PPG; 7.3 RPG; 2.1 BPG; 51.1 FG%
BENCH
SG LANCE STEPHENSON [NEW ACQUISITION]
6.8 PPG; 2.9 RPG; 3.3 APG; 45.0 FG%
SF GLENN ROBINSON III
6.1 PPG; 3.6 RPG; 46.7 FG%; 39.2 3FG%
PF DOMANTAS SABONIS [NEW ACQUISITION]
5.9 PPG; 3.6 RPG; 39.9 FG%; 32.1 3FG%
• THE CROSSOVER TOP 100 RANKING
*NEW ACQUISITION
ENEMY LINES
A RIVAL SCOUT SIZES UP INDIANA
The Pacers looked at the Paul George trade like, Well, we'll send the guy to the other conference so we don't have to play against him this year. But VICTOR OLADIPO will help them. He's shown us about what we can expect from him. He's a solid player, a little undersized as a two guard. He gets by on his grit and toughness.... They tried to rush DOMANTAS SABONIS in OKC and made him shoot threes—the first two months of the season he didn't shoot a free throw. It was ridiculous considering his greatest asset at Gonzaga was being around the basket, playing at the elbows. So I think there's some untapped ability there.... This is the year we're going to find out how good MYLES TURNER is. Was he a beneficiary of playing with George and other good players, or was he really a heavy participant and driver in their success? ... With THADDEUS YOUNG and CORY JOSEPH they have some solid pieces, but they're going to have to decide which guys to go forward with so they don't block the progress of ones they believe in. They could trade Young or Joseph or DARREN COLLISON—teams always need backup guards at the deadline.... GLENN ROBINSON III got better last year. He accepted his role and really fought defensively, worked hard and then he made shots. They have to think, O.K., this could be a guy for us going forward.... Does anyone pay LANCE STEPHENSON attention anymore? The last time he was good was the year he was trying to get paid, and since then he's been almost more trouble than he's worth.
TELLING 1,348 STATISTIC
BOTTOM LINE
They won just 38 games when George missed the 2014--15 season. With him in OKC, Indy will win even fewer.
