Subscribe
Follow Us
There is no weirder season for a team than that of the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers have been playoff stalwarts from 2011 until 2020, with only one postseason missed due to Paul George's broken leg. Last season, they made it to the inaugural play-in tournament, beat the 10th seed Hornets, but were routed by the Washington Wizards. In the offseason, the Pacers hired Rick Carlisle and many around the league interpreted that as a clear win-now move to win-now. It made sense, as the squad was filled with talent and while they were not on the same level as East powerhouses in the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks, they were still considered a playoff team. Then, a bombshell falls that the Pacers want to trade their trio of Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis, and Myles Turner. As that has not been resolved yet, here is the biggest need the Pacers must address at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline.
Biggest need the Pacers have to address
The Pacers' roster is still better than their 18-32 record suggests. Domantas Sabonis is still a stud, and while his averages are down from last season, he is still playing good basketball. Myles Turner has yet to take the step forward everyone assumed was next for him, but he is still an amazing player on both sides of the floor. Caris LeVert is often injured, but when he plays, he is a huge problem for opposing defenses. There are still guys like Malcolm Brogdon, Chris Duarte, Justin Holiday, and they are yet to get TJ Warren back. With one of the best coaches in the league in Carlisle, the Pacers should not be in this position.
Yet, around 50 games in, the Pacers are fighting hard for a spot in the play-in, and are currently 13th in the East. Although the Pacers haven't made a splash ahead of the trade deadline, they are likely looking to pull at least one off.
With that in mind, the absolute biggest need the Pacers must address at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline is their long-term stability, or in simpler terms, a return to the Pacers' roots.
As mentioned earlier, the Pacers are one of the most consistent franchises in the league. Since 1990, the Pacers missed the playoffs only six times and while they have zero league championships to show for it, they were still up there, fighting for their place under the NBA sun. With that came the reputation of the Pacers having a style of basketball that is distinct and that does not change, whoever dons their jersey. Even though no one considered them a title favorite or even a contender, the report of the three players being available for trade came out of the blue. This is not usually the Pacers style, as they do not do open rebuilds where they strip their roster of most talent on it.
Article Continues Below
A return to the Pacers' roots means that either Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis must go. The two seemingly couldn't coexist and if the franchise wants stability, they will need to get rid of one. Both have excellent credentials to stay, but both have some reasons they might be traded from Indiana.
Domantas Sabonis is a two-time All-Star whose offensive game is, in many ways, built upon the foundations of his father and one of the best European basketball players of all time, Arvydas Sabonis. He is a consistent inside presence on the offensive end and gets points the old-school wa: with great back-to-the-basket, low post game.
The Lithuanian would be a great fit for any team in the league and all signs should point to the direction of the Pacers keeping him. However, his defensive game needs a lot of work and he is a liability on that end. Also, there are concerns that he is peaking right now and while he has been great, he is far away from carrying a championship franchise, yet he will want to get paid as he is.
On the other hand, Myles Turner is a completely different beast. He is a defense-first kind of player, as he led the league in blocks for two of the last three seasons, and is currently leading the pack in that area. His offensive game is not ideal, but he can still put points up on the board. His defensive stability is his main selling point, as he can hold it down in the paint and anchor any defense in the league. However, as said above, Turner never quite took the step forward that many were expecting him to. His main advantage is his consistency, as he put up the same numbers across the board for the past six seasons. Yet, it is also his major disadvantage, as he does not seem to show the desire to really leap forward offensively and become that dominant two-way player the Pacers really need.
In theory, this pairing is perfect, as Turner is the defensive specialist who adds some offensive output, while Sabonis takes on the inside scoring of the whole squad. In reality, the fit has looked fairly awkward and there were major holes to be found in the Pacers' gameplan. With their defensive identity at stake, it is probably Sabonis that will be traded. He can bring more resources back and they would be selling high, as their only risk is that he gets exponentially better, which is unlikely at this point. Still, whoever they decide to trade, their absolute biggest need is that return to stability and with one of them gone, the Pacers should be right there.
