Post-Mortem: 2021-22 Indiana Pacers

[Bobbymcgee]

Sabonis was traded and Turner didn't step up.

Not that I think he is going to step up, but to be fair, Turner hasn't played a single game since the Sabonis trade. Can't step up if you're out, injured.

My bad. Thought he was actually playing in some games. Still don't think the Pacers should go all in on him long term with a big contract. He has the rare big game but he hasn't shown he has earned a big pay day imo.

[Topofthekey]

Sabonis was traded and Turner didn't step up.

Not that I think he is going to step up, but to be fair, Turner hasn't played a single game since the Sabonis trade. Can't step up if you're out, injured.

My bad. Thought he was actually playing in some games. Still don't think the Pacers should go all in on him long term with a big contract. He has the rare big game but he hasn't shown he has earned a big pay day imo.

Not sure who you're arguing against though

I don't think anyone has mentioned anything about giving Turner a max contract or something close to it

[Johnny Bball]

They need to rip it down and bottom out.

[CreekShow]

Rick Carlisle got EXPOSED this season

was hard for him without Dirk or Luka

No he didn't

[R-DAWG]

The Pacers window closed when Victor Oladipo was carried off on a stretcher in 2019. Prior to that injury, he was playing like a franchise caliber player. And what has made Indiana so constantly competitive over the years is they have almost always had a franchise caliber player on the roster. Reggie Miller, Jermaine O'Neal. A small gap in the late 2000's turned into Paul George and Victor Oladipo.

Also, let's not forget that TJ Warren was supposed to be a big part of their team, and he has played a total of 4 games over the past 2 years. And this year Malcom Brodgon has missed half the season, but if we are being honest with ourselves, Brogdon always misses significant time with injuries (has only played over 60 games twice in 7 season) which is why the Bucks let him go.

The team was designed to surround two guys who could create for themselves and others in Oldaipo and Sabonis, with a ton of shooting and defense. And the main reason it fell apart was health.

I thought the Pacers did what they needed to do this season. Turn Caris LaVert into a 1st rd pick. Break up the Sabonis/Turner front court while adding a highly regarded young player in Tyrese Haliburton. They now have a solid foundation to build around with Haliburton and Duarte in the backcourt and Myles Turner, who is still only 25 years old, in the middle. And they currently hovering around the 5th lotto slot, which means a high likelihood of a top 7 pick, in a draft that looks front court heavy which also fits their needs. They also have flexibility to move up or down in the draft, packaging their 2 1sts to get a desired player in the lotto or trading down from the mid to the late lottery with a team like the Knicks and picking up a Cam Reddish or Obi Toppin in the process.

But what they need to do is find another franchise player. And in Indiana, it needs to come from the draft or a trade.

One trade I might consider if I were the Pacers is seeing if I can get off both the Hield and Brogdon contracts. Both guys are entering their age 30 seasons next year and Hield has 2 years left and Brogdon 3. My idea for a trade would be Hield, Brogdon and TJ McConnell for Russell Westbrook, cash to use towards a buyout, and THT. More of a salary dump/commit to a rebuild type of move, but I can also see THT excelling in the Lance Stephenson role in this Pacers roster that has a ton of shooting with Hali/Duarte/Turner. And the books are wiped completely clean for Indiana after next season with the exception of the THT player option and resigning Myles Turner. This gives the Pacers flexibility to utilize their cap space is various ways rebuilding the roster.

[BK_2020]

They need to rip it down and bottom out.

They managed to bottom out without ripping it down.

[Ducksplatt]

Three years and three coaches. Time to tear it down and build with the good young pieces they have started to accumulate.
Think they could get some good value/young pieces for Turner, Hield and Brogdon. Build around Hali and Chris.

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[cupcakesnake]

I held on to the dream of the Pacers for a while. Brogdon/Oladipo/Warren/Sabonis/Turner had a real chance to be a dangerous and solid Eastern Conference play-in, but injuries took away most of that dream and it sounded like it turned ugly over the past 2 years.

The Pacers always stayed in the treadmill by always finding a way to replace an injured player. They posted back-to-back 48 win first-round exit seasons. It started with Collison/Oladipo/Thadd Young/Bojan/Turner. Brogdon, Warren, Jeremy Lamb replaced some of those guys, Sabonis grew into an all-star, but it was another first-round exit and another lost Oladipo season. Warren got hurt, Levert came in... they fought like hell to keep their head above water but nothing ever broke right for Indiana after Oladipo's 1 year of being a star.

So good on them for busting it up this year and letting that dream die. Nabbing Haliburton, keeping Turner, drafting Duarte. Not sure if they'll be able to keep Jalen Smith, but Isaiah Jackson looks nice too. Goga still flashes potential. They still have pieces they can move (namely Brogdon, maybe Hield) and draft picks to make. Rick Carlisle's coaching star has dimmed a bit and he's gained the reputation of a stubborn, grouchy dude with personality problems. But he was patient with the Mavs rebuild and is arguably the best playoff coach in the league (we all Ty Lue right now and rightfully so, but Carlisle **** him up good last year in the first round.)

It's a new dawn in Pacer nation and I think a welcome one.

[Johnny Bball]

They need to rip it down and bottom out.

They managed to bottom out without ripping it down.

Not bottom at all.

[Johnny Bball]

They need to rip it down and bottom out.

They managed to bottom out without ripping it down.

Not bottom at all.