The Indiana Pacers were a team some considered a tank threat entering the 2022-23 campaign, but instead they mostly stayed the course and put together a 35-47 year.
The Pacers leaned heavily on their first-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton (20.7 points, 10.4 assists per game) and veteran center Myles Turner (18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocks per game), and surrounded them with some intriguing young talent, with a pair of All-Rookie Team nods going to Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard. As this offseason arrives, Indiana still has a clear need for more two-way talent, as they were among the worst defensive teams in the NBA despite having one of the league’s best rim protectors on the back line. Striking a better balance between their offense which could, at times, pile up points, and a defense that gave them up just as quickly is paramount.
That starts with finding an upgrade both at the point of attack and on the wing, while adding some depth in the frontcourt behind Turner. They’ll have some significant cap room to chase some of those upgrades on the free agent market, with the ability to get to $27 million in room, and hold the seventh pick in the draft to try and further infuse the roster with young talent. Haliburton is a budding star and gives Indiana a bit of a runway to work out who is a core piece around him, but they’ll want to continue building the talent pool around him to take advantage of his considerable gifts.
Roster Needs: Frontcourt depth, Perimeter defense, 3-and-D wings
Jarace Walker (No. 8 overall), B+: Indiana was able to extract extra capital from Washington and still got the player they likely would have taken at No. 7. Walker isn’t a terribly sexy prospect offensively, but he is a very strong passer for his size with an emerging skill level that brings on intrigue. His primary appeal is defense, with an NBA-ready physical strength and feel to defend multiple positions, which fits Indiana’s considerable need on that end of the floor.
Ben Sheppard (No. 26 overall), B-: What a rise for Ben Sheppard. He was almost entirely off the mainstream radar during the season, but the upperclassman from Belmont brings a dynamic overall skill set. He is a modern player with his shooting and movement skills.
2023 Free Agents:
George Hill (UFA)
James Johnson (UFA)
Oshae Brissett (UFA)
Roster:
Myles Turner
Buddy Hield
Daniel Theis
TJ McConnell
Bennedict Mathurin
Tyrese Haliburton
Aaron Nesmith
Jalen Smith
Chris Duarte
Jordan Nwora
Isaiah Jackson
Andrew Nembhard
