The Indiana Pacers were projected to be one of the worst teams at the start of the 2022-23 season. To a lot of people's surprise, they were in play-in contention for the majority of the season and fell just short, finishing with a record of 35-47.
For a team that was supposed to be young and rebuilding, they had a very good season compared to their expectations. A few factors that led to this are their up-incoming star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, electric rookie Benedict Mathurin, along with the veteran presence of Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.
The Pacers organization saw a new opportunity with their young star and realized if they made a couple of good moves they could get better and really challenge for the playoffs. The Pacers quietly had a very good offseason and added really good pieces that should put them in a position to compete for a playoff spot. Let's take a look at their new and improved roster.
Indiana Pacers starting point guard: Tyrese Haliburton
The Pacers acquired Tyrese Haliburton in a midseason trade in 2022 that could possibly change their franchise around. Haliburton had immediately broken through in his first 26 games with the Pacers. Then last season he had a career year averaging 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.6 steals, on 49/40/87 shooting splits.
Haliburton is one of the most talented young guards in the NBA. Standing at 6-foot-5 allows him to read the defense much easier and to use his incredible playing ability, and quickness for his size to gain an edge over his defender.
He is the perfect point guard to have in today's NBA. He can score at all three levels very efficiently, he has become one of the best playmakers in the league, finishing second in assists per game, and he is a very solid defender.
The beauty of Haliburton's game is his ability to make his teammates around him better. With some of their new acquisitions, Haliburton's playmaking ability will make everyone on the court a threat and have one of his teammates be a great second option.
Primary backup point guard: TJ McConnell
TJ McConnell has been a primary backup point guard for his whole career and is the Pacers' only other true point guard outside of Tyrese Haliburton. Last season he averaged 8.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 steals on 54/44/85 splits while averaging 20.3 minutes per game.
McConnell is perfect for this Pacers team because he is just a smaller version of Tyrese Haliburton. When McConnell plays when Haliburton is off the court, he'll have a similar impact to Haliburton where the Pacers can still be successful without their star player.
Since Haliburton is versatile enough to play with TJ McConnell, this allows McConnell to become the primary playmaker and Haliburton a scorer which will draw more attention to Haliburton and McConnell can find anyone else who is left open.
Other's who could receive minutes: Andrew Nembhard
Indiana Pacers starting shooting guard: Bennedict Mathurin
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft has become one of the brightest lights for the Pacers future. Bennedict Mathurin was mainly coming off the bench, only starting 17 out of the 78 games he played in, but he deserves to be a starter this season.
Last season Mathurin averaged 16.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 43/32/83 shooting splits, leading him to finish fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting and was selected to the All-Rookie first team.
Mathurin is going to be the perfect 2-guard alongside Tyrese Haliburton. Since the majority of Mathurin shots are assisted, Halibruton's playmaking ability will allow him to score with so much more ease. As Mathurin develops, his shot will get better and make him a bigger threat to score.
Primary backup shooting guard: Andrew Nembhard
Andrew Nembhart was a second round pick and primarily the Pacers starting shooting guard, starting 63 of the 75 games that he played in. With Bennedict Mathurin playing as well as he did, Nembhart should be coming off the bench to start the season.
He also had a solid rookie season where he averaged 9.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, on 44/35/79 shooting splits. The reason he was starting over Mathurin last season was because of his defensive presence.
Last season Nembhart and Mathurin both had a similar impact on the defensive side of the ball but where Nembhart separated himself was he is the slightly better shooter. If any player is able to shoot 3s, you're going to receive minutes.
There is a chance that Rick Carlisle may decide that Mathurin is best off the bench and be a great sixth man in the league so Nembhart can start. Both Mathurin and Nembhart are going into the sophomore season and will both be better but, they should experiment with Mathurin in the starting lineup to start the season.
Other who could receive minutes; Tyrese Haliburton, Bruce Brown, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith
Indiana Pacers starting small forward: Bruce Brown
The Pacers signed Bruce Brown this offseason to a $45 million contract over two years, making him their highest paid player on the team for next season. After giving away that contract, he better be in the Pacers starting lineup.
Brown had a career year for the Nuggets last season, he averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals on 48/36/76 shooting splits. In the postseason he averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals on 51/32/86 shooting splits, en route to winning his first NBA title.
Brown is going to receive a much bigger role with the Pacers than he had everywhere else but, he is going to have just as big of an impact. Even though he's only 6-foot-4, Brown is so versatile where he can actually play all five positions given the scenario.
Over the course of his career Brown has gotten better in different aspects of the game. He became a much better scorer, playmaker, and shooter. It is great that he's bringing that to the Pacers but Brown has always been a great defender.
The Pacers finished 26th in defense and 19th in offense last season. Getting Bruce Brown will help the Pacers in both of those categories because he will die on every possession. Given that he has championship experience, he will be a great leader and mentor for the Pacers so all of their young players play smarter.
Primary backup small forward: Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield was mainly the starting small forward for the Pacers last season but after getting Bruce Brown, it has moved him to the bench. Last season he averaged 16.8 points, 5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals on 46/43/82 shooting splits.
Ever since Hield entered the league he has been known for his ability to shoot 3s. Last season 65 percent of his field goal attempts were 3-pointers and when you make 43 percent of them, it makes you a valuable player in the NBA.
The Bruce Brown signing puts Hield in a very weird position on the Pacers. He is better than a lot of players on the roster where he should start but, he doesn't exactly fit with the team's needs. Hield is turning 31 and the team is going younger, so there is a very good chance he is traded at some point during the season.
For now, Hield remains one of the best players on the Pacers and will continue to make a lot of 3-pointers for this team but don't be surprised if he is traded or bought out at some point during the season.
Others who could receive minutes: Aaron Nesmith and Jordan Nwora
If Buddy Hield is traded at some point during the season or someone gets hurt, Aaron Nesmith and Jordan Nwora could receive minutes this season. Nesmith played in 73 games last season and averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 43/37/84 shooting splits. He is a solid 3-and-D option for the Pacers if anyone gets hurt.
Jordan Nwora was another player for the Pacers who played extremely well. He was picked up midseason and in 24 games he averaged 13 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 48/42/72 shooting splits. He has also shown potential to be a good defender so he could easily sneak his way into the rotation, especially if Hield is traded.
Indiana Pacers starting power forward; Obi Toppin
The Pacers traded a second pick for Obi Toppin, which was an absolute steal. It is up for debate who should start between him and Jarace Walker but the Pacers will be making a huge mistake if they don't start Obi Toppin.
Obi Toppin came into the NBA in a weird situation because at first glance it looked like he was going to receive hefty minutes until Julius Randle broke out. Last season, Toppin averaged 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1 assist on 45/34/81 shooting splits in 15.7 minutes per game.
Not having the opportunity to play hurt Toppin massively. He only started 15 games in his first three seasons and in those 15 games he averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assist on 60/44/84 shooting splits.
Toppin went from just a role player to an All-Star caliber player when he started. Since he is a player who loves to jump and run in the open court, he and Tyrese Haliburton can have a really special connection. Not to mention his shot has gotten better every year and he could become a real outside threat.
If Toppin is able to play as well as a starter as he has in the past, the Pacers will be competing for a playoff spot and not a play-in spot.
Primary backup power forward: Jarace Walker
Jarace Walker was the No. 8 overall pick in the draft out of Houston whom the Pacers traded down for. In his freshman season at Houston, he averaged 11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1 steal and 1.3 blocks on 47/35/66 shooting splits.
Walker is a very unique player — standing at 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, he is an extremely versatile player. He has the ability to create his own shot, slash to the basket and finish with a soft touch, and is a good defender.
That being said, he should come off the bench to start the season for the Pacers. Toppin has proven what he can do on a professional stage that will lean the coaches to start. Walker won't complain either because he didn't start the last game of the season so a senior could start on senior night. It won't be all too bad for Walker because he can learn from Toppin.
Walker's talent alone helps improve the Pacers but as he starts out he should focus on playing well on the defensive side of the ball. He'll receive big time minutes and improve the Pacers defensive struggles.
Others who could receive minutes: Jordan Nwora and Jalen Smith
Jalen Smith averaged 9.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1 assist and 0.9 blocks on 48/28/76 shooting splits on 18.8 minutes per game. Smith's role has been reduced due to the Pacers getting Toppin and Walker and if need be he can play the center. He is a pretty good defender so if someone gets hurt he'll be ready to play.
Indiana Pacers starting center: Myles Turner
Myles Turner is the longest-tenured Pacer returning for his eighth season and has been the starting center for them for the last seven seasons. Last season, Turner averaged 18 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.3 blocks on 55/37/78 shooting splits.
This was by far the best season Myles Turner has had throughout his career and it had a lot to do with having Tyrese Haliburton. Turner is a very good offensive center, not only is he a lob threat but he can really space the floor. His ability to shoot and draw opposing bigs out of the paint can create so many opportunities for the Pacers where everybody can be an elite scorer.
The most important aspect that Turner brings to the Pacers is his defensive ability. He was the Pacers' best defender last season while also being one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA. For his career Turner has averaged 2.3 blocks per game and is the defensive anchor of multiple top-10 defenses.
Turner will be one of the most important players for the Pacers for this upcoming season. He does have an injury history that could hurt them but when he is on the court you'll feel his presence night in and night out.
Primary backup center: Isaiah Jackson
Isaiah Jackson was primarily the Pacers' backup center playing in 63 games and averaging 16.5 minutes per game. Last season, he averaged 7.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 56/14/65 shooting splits.
Jackson on the other hand, is a completely different offensive player than Myles Turner. Jackson does not have the same floor spacing as Turner but is a very great option in the pick-and-roll and as a lob threat.
He is able to earn his minutes because of his efforts on the defensive end. It is highly impressive that Jackson was able to average 1.5 blocks per game in just 16.5 minutes. To put that in perspective, that's 3.2 blocks over 36 minutes. The Pacers have two great defensive big men that will anchor the team's defense throughout the season.
Other who could receive minutes: Daniel Theis and Jalen Smith
Daniel Theis is the Pacers' third-string center as he was last season. He played in seven games and averaged 7 points and 3.1 rebounds on 47/18/42 shooting splits. Theis is slowly on his way out of the league so the Pacers will have to suffer injury for him to play. Chances are the Pacers would go to Jalen Smith at the 5 before Theis.
