If Turbonis is split up, who stays and who goes?
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — On Tuesday afternoon, The Athletic confirmed what we’ve all been thinking: A Pacers rebuild could be on the way. After a lackluster 10-16 start, and with a roster that can’t get healthy or find a way to gel together, the writing has been on the wall. And according to those sources, Caris LeVert could be on the trading block, along with *either Domantas Sabonis or Myles Turner.
Over the last several years, Turner and Sabonis have dominated headlines and conversation amongst media and Pacer fans alike. It’s been something you rarely see in sports- a divided fan base about two of their own players. A quarterback controversy can’t even compare to what we’ve seen from the Turbonis debates.
But even as someone who has always loved both players, it just doesn’t appear possible to keep both if the Pacers want to succeed. If and when one player goes elsewhere, it will be tough to see. And quite honestly, it will be a little scary watching that player (probably) dominate for someone else. With that being said, this franchise simply can’t put together a highly competitive roster when two centers (making that much money) are so much of the focus.
If we thought the Turner/Sabonis debates were over the top before, I can’t imagine how the next few weeks/months will be. You may want to treat social media like the Gainbridge Fieldhouse attendance this year, and stay away for a bit.
Instead of choosing sides, I’d like to take a look at all of them with some questions.
1. Which one brings you the most talent back?
Fans are split on these two guys, and I think some front offices will be too. For the teams making offers, do they prefer an elite defender who can shoot from outside, or do they prefer an All-Star double-double machine? Also, do the Pacers make their decision only based on the offers, or do they internally prefer to move forward with one over the other? They did confirm that Myles Turner was in trade discussions last year, and you have to wonder if that is their answer.
2. Which one benefits more from the absence of the other?
Simply looking at solo minutes for each player won’t answer this question, because those minutes are still in the context of the other player being part of the game plan. What would Myles Turner’s game look like with increased minutes, increased shots, and no Domas Sabonis? How wild would Sabonis’ stat-lines look with no Myles Turner around?
3. Which one fits the future you want?
It’s very possible that Sabonis’ defense wouldn’t hurt the Pacers as much if they had better wing defenders. Surround him with better perimeter defense, and maybe Sabonis fits the future you want. It’s also very possible that Myles Turner could flourish being a larger part of the offense. This is not an easy decision, and I don’t envy Kevin Pritchard and company for having to make it.
Here’s largely where I stand: I think Sabonis is the better overall player. I think Turner fits the modern game a little more. I think they both would bring back a decent return. And I fully agree that they need to keep one of the two as part of the rebuild. One final question I will pose:
4. Which one wants to be here?
This is something the Pacers should look into. The franchise has clearly been burned by good players wanting out of Indy. There have been some rumors (that could be entirely false) that Sabonis would prefer going out West. Myles Turner says he loves it here. If Kevin Pritchard wants to choose Sabonis over Turner, he better be sure Domas would stay here long-term.
There are no easy answers to many of these questions. If the Pacers are going to have any kind of future at all- they need to make the right decision, if and when Turbonis is finally split. Stay tuned.
