Biggest questions for the Pacers season
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Another NBA season has arrived, and the Indiana Pacers head into this year with a little more buzz than the previous few seasons. Players and fans are excited, and the expectations have been heightened. This team is extremely deep, and you could argue this roster has 14 or 15 players that are deserving of being in an NBA rotation. While that’s a good problem to have, it will present some challenges for Rick Carlisle. Most of the questions I have for this team center around the lineups, and playing time decisions.
•What will happen with McConnell and Nembhard?
I thought there was a solid chance of McConnell getting traded this summer. For now, the second-longest tenured Pacer remains on the roster. He’s a solid backup point guard and is loved by teammates and fans. The issue is: Andrew Nembhard needs to play. I’m sure Nembhard will play a lot of minutes off the bench at the 1 and 2, but I’m not sure there are enough minutes to go around for McConnell.
•How much will the rookies play?
When you have the 7th pick in the Draft, you typically have instant minutes for that player. That might not be the case for the Pacers and Jarace Walker. He will definitely get plenty of opportunities this season, but will it be right away, or will he have to wait his turn? Newly-extended Aaron Nesmith needs minutes, and playing some backup at the 4 may be the way to get some of those minutes. Walker’s early usage may be match-up based, or could depend on injuries and other factors. As for 2nd round pick Ben Sheppard, the Pacers are really high on the sharpshooter and would love to find a way to get him in the rotation. Could the 2nd rounder get an earlier look than the lottery pick? It’s very possible.
•Will playing time cause any distractions this season?
This roster is full of great guys who all seem to get along and pull for one another. But it’s still a business. There aren’t enough minutes to go around to keep everyone happy, and you just hope it doesn’t end up causing any issues. Guys like Buddy Hield and Andrew Nembhard would prefer to start. Guys like TJ McConnell and Jordan Nwora deserve minutes but may not get them. There are three guys battling for backup minutes at the five, and they’re each in different stages of their career.
•How big of a leap will Bennedict Mathurin take?
Nothing is more important to this season or the foreseeable future than Mathurin’s development. Tyrese Haliburton is a rising star in this league. It’s difficult to acquire other stars in a small market. Mathurin has the ability to become a solid 2nd option on a good team. He also has the work ethic. I think it’s a matter of when, not if, Mathurin takes a big step forward. If that step happens in year two, the Pacers can make a lot of noise this season.
•Will the defense be good enough?
With this offense, the Pacers don’t have to be a top-10 defense to win games. They just need to be passable on that end. They were 26th in defensive rating last season. If they could even take a small jump into the top-20, this will be a playoff team. Bruce Brown Jr. should help. They need to keep Myles Turner healthy. The other players have to buy-in and improve on the defensive end, and this team will be in much better shape.
