It’s not every day you hear about the Indiana Pacers, especially since they’re not in the playoffs. The Pacers have been consistently a mediocre/above-average team since the existence of the team. Before the last two seasons, dealing with various injuries, the Pacers were a top 4-5 team in the East and beat teams with grit and depth on their team.
Fast forward to now, the Pacers are going through a rebuild, but not the OKC type of rebuild you see. They have young talent, but also a lot of older veterans that can pave the way and teach the younger players how to go about things as a pro. Let’s dive a little deeper into the Pacers’ young core…
Everyone knows about Tyrese Halliburton and if you’ve watched any games of the Pacers with Halliburton, you know exactly how special he really is. I’m not saying Halliburton is going to be some superstar or anything, but if he ends up being an All-Star next year? Don’t be surprised whatsoever. He’s not going to wow you with his scoring, but more of his maturity on the court and elite vision. As Draymond Green says, “He’s a winning player”.
Young Core:
- Tyrese Halliburton (PG) (22)
- Chris Duarte (SG) (24)
- Isaiah Jackson (PF/C) (20)
- Oshae Brissett (PF) (23)
- Terry Taylor (SF/PF) (22)
- Duane Washington Jr (SG) (22)
- Goga Bitadze (C) (22)
I love what Isaiah Jackson brings to the table. He’s not the most skilled player (yet), but he finds a way to be a threat around the rim and be a menace defensively for opposing players. When he was given the opportunity to start, he had 35 blocks in 15 games, which averages out at 2.3 a game and would be top 3 in the league. With Halliburton, he showed flashes to be a lob threat and consistently someone you need to keep an eye on to have a vicious putback.
Another is Chris Duarte, an older 3 & D wing for the Pacers. I wasn’t super excited to see the Pacers go after Duarte, but that had to do more with him being a bit older than anything. Nonetheless, Duarte showed flashes of being an above-average defender and a player that can score from the outside and also cut to the rim. I could see Duarte and Halliburton being a dangerous backcourt duo for years to come as both continue to grow.
I hate putting expectations on players and giving comparisons that they might not ever live to, but I see a little Klay Thompson in Duarte’s game. He’s a consistent threat from the outside and has no issue with taking on the opposing team’s best perimeter threat.
Then the Pacers also have good young role players in Oshae Brissett, Terry Taylor (rebounding machine), and Duane Washington Jr. who can shoot lights out. Brissett has shown the ability to be a solid defender and be dangerous when given the chance. To end the season, in April, Brissett averaged nearly 18 PPG, and 8 boards a game. It’s definitely going to be interesting to see if he can take on a starting spot next season next to Myles Turner.
Terry Taylor is one of those tweener power forwards that is like 6’6 but plays like he’s 6’10 with power and hustle. Duane Washingotn Jr. is a player that never lacks confidence and is always on go mode offensively. Goga Bitadze also showed some flashes throughout the year that he belongs in the league as well.
Conclusion
The Pacers are building a very underrated young core that is not getting enough credit. With also potentially getting a top 5 pick this upcoming draft, they will only be adding to it. If the Pacers somehow make the playoffs next season, don’t be surprised.
