The Indiana Pacers underwent sort of a roster overhaul this offseason, losing key rotation members like Bojan Bogdanovic, Thaddeus Young, Darren Collison, Wesley Matthews, Tyreke Evans and Cory Joseph and bringing in Malcolm Brogdon, T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb.
Of course, the key to the Pacers' 2019-20 campaign is whether or not Victor Oladipo returns healthy, but if he does, Indiana will have a threatening roster that could challenge for the Eastern Conference throne.
And the biggest X-factor to Indy's success this coming season could very well be Lamb.
Lamb was an under-the-radar signing for the Pacers this summer, as their additions of Warren (via trade) and Brogdon garnered most of the attention, but don't discount the impact Lamb could have.
The former Charlotte Hornet is a very solid two-way player and is coming off of a season in which he averaged 15.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals over 28.5 minutes per game while shooting 44 percent from the floor, 34.8 percent from three-point range and 88.8 percent from the free-throw line.
He has taken some pretty big steps forward over the last couple of years, and while he is far from an All-Star-caliber player, he is finally living up to some of what was expected from him when he was drafted 12th overall back in 2012.
The key is that when Oladipo comes back, Lamb will probably be the fifth or sixth option offensively for the Pacers, and if Lamb is your fifth or sixth option, that is pretty darn nice.
While he doesn't do anything great, he does almost everything well: he is a solid shooter, he has good handles, he can get to the basket and he has enough length to be an impact defender, particularly when it comes to getting in passing lanes.
Along with Oladipo, Lamb will also be one of Indiana's two best perimeter defenders, so with Oladipo out, he will likely be tasked with guarding the opponent's best wing scorer on a nightly basis.
Again, he isn't elite on the defensive end, but he can hold his own and should be up to that challenge.
Once Oladipo returns, the Pacers' starting lineup will probably look something like Myles Turner, Warren, Lamb, Oladipo and Brogdon. They will also have Domantas Sabonis off the bench.
That is a pretty impressive group, and while Indy's depth toward the end of the bench is pretty weak at the moment, that six-man grouping is very impressive and may very well be the most balanced one in the East.
What's so eye-opening about it is that Lamb is really just gravy. We know how good a healthy Oladipo is. Brogdon is a hyper-efficient scorer. Warren has the potential to average 20 points a night. Turner and Sabonis are a terrific and consistent tandem up front.
Now imagine if Lamb gives them the type of production he gave the Hornets last year (if not better) on top of that.
Suddenly, the Pacers are looking very scary.
Sure, Oladipo's health is what will ultimately decide Indiana's fate in the 2019-20 campaign, but Lamb is the ultimate X-factor.
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