featured-image

2018-19 Season Preview Extravaganza | Can The Pacers Break Through?

Twenty-nine different opposing NBA teams will walk through the doors of Target Center to play the Wolves this season, and we want you to know as much as you can about all of them. We’re going worst to first in order of last year’s standings and telling you everything you need to know. Next up, the Indiana Pacers, who suddenly find themselves with one of the league’s brightest stars… and one of its deepest benches. 

Notable Players Acquired: G Tyreke Evans (free agency), G Aaron Holiday (draft), F Alize Johnson (draft), F Doug McDermott (free agency), F Kyle O’Quinn (free agency)

Notable Players Lost: G Lance Stephenson (free agency), G Glenn Robinson III (free agency), G Joe Young (free agency)

Recapping 2017-18: Indiana may not have made it far in the playoffs, but you can’t say they didn’t put up a fight.

Led by breakout star Victor Oladipo, the Pacers finished with the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and took LeBron James’ Cavs to seven games in the first round of the playoffs. The loss hurt, I’m sure, but the Pacers entered the offseason with their heads held high.

Myles Turner, one of the most promising young big men in the league, didn’t take as big of a step forward as expected last season, but he’s still just 22 years old and entering his third year. There’s plenty of time. At worst, he’s a well above average defender and a solid rebounder. If Turner can polish up his post scoring and continue to develop an emerging three-point shot we could be looking at a future All-Star.

In addition to Oladipo, the Pacers acquired Domantas Sabonis in their trade with OKC that sent Paul George to the Thunder. Sabonis exceeded expectations in his rookie season, leading the team in rebounding and showing potential as a nightly double-double threat.

In the offseason, the Pacers upgraded from Lance Stephenson to the ever-underrated Tyreke Evans, and also brought in Doug McDermott and Kyle O’Quinn. The addition of O’Quinn will be especially impactful. He flew under the radar last season with the Knicks, but he’s a very solid backup forward who will give them good depth behind Thaddeus Young. 

With a backup unit of Cory Joseph, Evans, McDermott, O’Quinn and Sabonis, the Pacers have the depth to not just hold leads with their bench unit, but extend them, and a roster so deep with interesting talent affords them a ton of lineup flexibility. They should be a real threat in the East—at the very least they will be an extremely tough out.  

The Big Question:

How much of last year’s magic will carry over?

A complete lack of expectations gives a team a lot of room for error. Last year, the Pacers were the surprise darlings of the league. This year they will be expected to build on that performance.

We saw a lot of unexpected improvement from the Pacers in 2017-18, but the question now is whether or not they can keep improving. We learned that the floors for many of the Pacers players were a lot higher than we thought—that’s great news for the franchise. However, we still don’t have a great idea of their ceilings. If Oladipo can improve half as much coming into this season as he did between 2016-17 and 2017-18 the Pacers would be jumping for joy, but that’s no easy task. There’s no question that Oladipo was always underrated by the role he played on his previous teams, but exactly how good he can be remains to be seen.

If Oladipo doesn’t measurably improve (which frankly I think is unlikely given how hard he works), the onus will be on Turner and Sabonis to take the team to the next level. That’s a bit of an uncertain prospect. They are talented young players, but generally when a team has a potential superstar, they know it. Neither of these players look like they’re going to be superstars. Then again, to refute the idea that your value is somewhat known after a few seasons in the league, all Turner and Sabonis have to do is look a few lockers down at Oladipo. The Pacers are young, deep and exciting. I would not be shocked to see them in the Eastern Conference Finals this year or next. However, the magic of 2017-18 is behind them, now it’s time to go to work.

How Do The Wolves Beat Them?

The Pacers undoubtedly rely on Oladipo to carry their scoring load. Taking him out of the game on offense is huge. The addition of Evans gives Indiana another effective outlet on offense, but Oladipo is still their heart and soul. While with some players it’s a better idea to go at them on defense to tire them out, Oladipo gets so much energy from his play on the defensive end, I almost think it’s a better idea to try to take him out of the game. That’s not to say the Wolves should avoid whoever he’s guarding, but they should not try to put him in isolation. He has quick hands and he’s extremely athletic, so giving him opportunities on the break has to be avoided. 

The Pacers are also relatively undersized as a squad and there’s an opportunity there to blow them out of the water when it comes to rebounding. They ranked 22nd in total rebounding last year. The Pacers were also one of the least effective three-point shooting teams last year, and allowed the fifth-highest percentage from beyond the arc to their opponents. The Wolves’ growing three-point attack should be very effective against Indiana.

Andrews’ Prediction: 

The Pacers should finish with home court advantage in the East. I might be overreacting to their surprising season last year, but I think they really have a chance to build something special. I have them finishing with the No. 4 seed, but depending on what happens in Philly this year, they could be higher. The Pacers are talented and uniquely equipped to handle an injury to any of their key players other than Oladipo. They’ll be dangerous.

Describe This Team In 15 Words Or Less

A young team oozing with potential and waiting for their moment to break out. 

So When Can I See Them?  

The Pacers are in town Oct. 22, and the Wolves visit Indiana on Feb. 28.