The Indiana Pacers had a bizarre 2020-21 NBA season in the Eastern Conference, to put it modestly. In what was year one of the Nate Bjorkgren era, the Pacers appeared in the NBA Play-In Tournament as the ninth seed, beating the Charlotte Hornets and then losing to the Washington Wizards.
Prior to the play-in round, the Pacers endured a string of unfortunate circumstances. They played a role in the multi-team James Harden blockbuster, sending Victor Oladipo to the Houston Rockets for Caris LeVert as a subsequent move to the Nets' trade.
LeVert missed the first two months of his time with the Pacers due to a kidney issue and then missed the play-in round due to health and safety protocols. Meanwhile, forward T.J. Warren appeared in just four games due to a foot injury.
A month or so after their season concluded, the Pacers fired Bjorkgren in favor of Rick Carlisle. That's a lot to digest. Now let's take a step back: The Indiana Pacers will ambush the Eastern Conference next season. Here's three reasons for the auspicious outlook.
Pacers have a pair of compelling first-round picks
Indiana added a pair of compelling players in the first round of last month's NBA draft: Oregon's Chris Duarte (13) and Kentucky's Isaiah Jackson (22). Both players should be in the Pacers' rotation from the jump.
Sure, Duarte is 24, which is extremely old for a player coming out of college. On the other hand, he won't have to endure the stops and starts of the physical maturation process other rookies have.
As for what he brings to the table, Duarte is an excellent shooter. He's adept at sticking jump shots from distance, shooting off the dribble, and is an overall efficient player. In his final season at Oregon, Duarte averaged 17.1 points per game, shooting 42.4 percent beyond the arc. He'll provide instant offense off the bench.
Jackson is raw: He's 19 and played just one season at Kentucky. That said, he flashed a tantalizing skill set for the Wildcats. Jackson makes an impact on both ends of the floor. He's a rim denier, a sturdy defender, and an athletic inside finisher. Last season he averaged 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.
It may take some time for Jackson to get accustomed to NBA physicality, but once he gets fundamentally sound, the big man will be a hassle in the paint. When that time comes, the Pacers have a starter-caliber center coming off the bench.
Pacers have a sly starting five
The Pacers' starting five could be as follows: Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, T.J. Warren/Chris Duarte, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. This is a five-man unit that can do damage, and it has no one over the age of 28.
Brogdon gets better with age. He's a reliable shooter, passer and defender. Last season he averaged a career-best 21.2 points to go along with 5.9 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 38.8 percent beyond the arc.
When healthy, LeVert can flat-out score. He gets to the rim off the dribble, has a respectable jump shot, and is a reputable defender. Held back by injuries and established stars in the past, LeVert has the chance to finally break through with the Pacers.
Working under the mindset that Warren gets the starting nod over Duarte, the former provides the Pacers with an athletic forward who's adept at filling the cup and draining shots from distance on a nightly basis.
Sabonis has become one of the best frontcourt players in the NBA. The big man plays in the post, moves people inside, has a plausible jump shot, is an effective passer, and hits the boards at a high level. Sabonis is the player teams are game-planning for on the Pacers.
Turner is an elite shot blocker and rim protector who stretches the floor with his shooting ability. Last season he averaged an NBA-best 3.4 blocks per game. Turner is one of the more unique big men in the sport.
Rick Carlisle is perfect for the Pacers
The Pacers have an enticing and well-rounded starting five. That unit is accompanied by a pair of rookies who should make an immediate impact. The Pacers also have a proven wing in Justin Holiday, another proven defender in Torrey Craig, a scrappy and productive guard in T.J. McConnell, a scoring jolt in Jeremy Lamb (for now, at least), and a capable youngster in Oshae Brissett.
This team just needs the right head coach, and Rick Carlisle is the ideal person for the job.
For the most part, this is a Pacers team with proven commodities who in some cases are growing more productive and impactful. This team has had two systems in two years. It went from being a lower-level offensive team with an elite defensive unit under Nate McMillan to being one of the better offensive teams in the sport who struggled defensively under Bjorkgren. The Pacers need stability and a balance of both their previous models.
Carlisle is a veteran coach who is best suited to lead a roster like Indiana's. Both parties needed a fresh situation for the sake of getting back on track. Carlisle has the players to avoid overreliance on a single player, a luxury that some of his Dirk Nowitzki-led teams had in Dallas.
All the while, Carlisle's 2020-21 Mavericks were ninth in the NBA in opponent points per game (110.2) and opponent 3-point shooting percentage (46.0) despite being such an offense-minded team.
Are Carlisle's Pacers going to scare the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets? Probably not, but the Pacers have the productive depth to the point where they can compete in individual contests with them. They also have the first and second units, especially from a continuity standpoint, to stare teams like the Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics straight in the eye.
Getting this team back to being a playoff participant and then some is a matter of making savvy tweaks, like bringing in Carlisle. That's also not to mention the Pacers getting healthy, which they never were after the opening weeks of last season.
The Indiana Pacers are going to be a handful in the East next season.
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