The Indiana Pacers opened their regular season with a 119-110 loss to the Detroit Pistons. It provided fans with their first look at Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis starting alongside each other in the frontcourt.
The two big men played very well when looking at their basic statistical production. Sabonis led the team in scoring with 27 points (11-of-15 shooting and contributed 13 rebounds and two assists. Meanwhile, Turner had an output of 25 points (9-of-15 shooting, 4-of-7 on 3-pointers), nine rebounds, three blocks, and a pair of steals.
There was legitimate success achieved by the Pacers when Turner and Sabonis shared the floor. For reference, they logged 26 minutes together and the team produced a 105.5 offensive rating, a 92.6 defensive rating, and a 12.9 rating within that time. Keep in mind, Blake Griffin was sidelined and Markieff Morris started in his place:
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The pathway to offensive success the Pacers achieve when Turner and Sabonis share the floor is simple. The ability Turner has to knock down jump shots provides valuable floor spacing, while Sabonis is able to make an interior impact with his finishing and passing. There is more versatility in the skill sets of both players, but those are the attributes that tie it all together.
There is only so much that two players can do to influence a team's half-court offense, particularly when they are frontcourt players. It appears the two bigs have the attributes to fit well together, but the ultimate offensive success of the unit will depend on the impact the team's perimeter players can make.
Between T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb, the Pacers had too many sequences when a kick-out or extra pass should have been made but they decided not to do it. In addition, their off-ball offensive skill sets are limited in nature. It doesn't help that both players are liabilities on the defensive end of the floor, too.
Meanwhile, Malcolm Brogdon's impact looked good on paper, but he is going to take time to develop into being a playmaker who can consistently identify when to kick it out to teammates, pass to the roll man, and find success creating his own shot. It will be important that he manages to contain dribble penetration in on-ball defense when tasked with slowing down quicker guards.
While the defensive results produced by the Pacers when Turner and Sabonis played together were effective, the Pistons' personnel is not the best measure for defensive success. They did not face a dynamic perimeter talent in a spread offense. Until they face that type of matchup, it's important to not rush to a conclusion, but they can hold their own against big teams.
The results Turner and Sabonis achieved from their direct contributions together was intriguing to see. There is still more to see, but the supporting cast around them may be the greatest influencing factor of all.
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