Indiana Pacers Media Day Makes Us Ask: Is A Trade Coming?
By Ben Gibson
The Indiana Pacers may have too much overlapping talent.
Media Day is a day where we get excited over the Indiana Pacers answering questions they’ve likely been asked several times over the summer and enjoying the results of them taking weird photos.
Sometimes, we actually do learn something. On Monday, we found out
On Monday, we found out Myles Turner is recovering from a concussion. We also learned how both Larry Bird and Nate McMillan feel about the roster.
The Indy Star’s Jay Ayello reported that there may be an issue with overlapping talent.
"“My only concern,” Bird said, “is we have too much talent in some areas. Not that they’re all-star players, but they’re all basically the same, so we’ll have to see how that works out.”McMillan echoed and elaborated on his bosses’ sentiment on Monday.“We have added (a lot of) depth, and there could be some issues with guys who are accustomed to playing a lot of minutes,” McMillan said. “There’s going to need to be some sacrifices made with some of our guys.”"
In a perfect world, everyone accepts their role and everything will be fine.
We do not live in a perfect world, nor would things be fine with duplicate skill-sets.
There are already concerns about Jeff Teague and Monta Ellis sharing time as the starting guards, especially since neither can handle defending some of the NBA’s bigger shooting guards.
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But the Pacers issues go beyond that. For example, it seems like the styles of Aaron Brooks, Rodney Stuckey, and Ellis are similar in many ways. They don’t play the exact same roles, but they also have overlap in how they play at their best, and that’s controlling the offense with the ball in their hands. Even though Teague is clearly the primary ball-handler now, McMillan will have to work to find the right combinations to go with him, and who can play together when Teague isn’t on the court.
In the front court, there are plenty of bodies to back up Thaddeus Young, but none of the options are great or offer a big change of style or pace.
There are some benefits to having stability and duplicates throughout your lineup when a player goes down with an injury, but having the ability to throw different looks at opponents is a better recipe for playoff success.
When you pair that with the fact the Pacers don’t have a reliable shooter (unless C.J. Miles finds his way again), it prompts one to ask if there is a trade in Indiana’s future. If there are overlapping talent and room for improvement in certain areas, it makes the Pacers a prime candidate for making a move.
We’ve heard about an Ellis/Rudy Gay trade rumor once or twice this summer, but that move wouldn’t solve the Pacers’ problem of not having a knockdown shooter. There aren’t any other rumors that have been leaked to the public, but sometimes the absence of evidence isn’t the evidence of absence.
Next: Myles Turner Looking To Take A Leadership Role for the Pacers
The Pacers can still improve their roster, but who can they realistically trade for before February’s deadline? Let us know who you think are realistic targets in the comments below.