The Indiana Pacers Have Rotation Questions Ahead — Who’s Out?

The Indiana Pacers have decisions to make about who’s going to be losing minutes once the team is back to full strength.

With Paul George missing 5 of the last 6 games and C.J. Miles missing the last 5 straight, the Indiana Pacers rotations have been in a constant state of flux.

Kevin Seraphin made a brief stint in the rotation for a few games, missed a game, played a game, and missed 3 more. Glenn Robinson III has gone from being out of the rotation entirely to playing 25+ minutes 5 of the past 6 games. Even Myles Turner missed a game with a sprained ankle.

In the midst of all this chaos, the Pacers have played .500 basketball, going 3-3 with Glenn Robinson III as the only healthy small forward on the roster. Both George and Miles should be returning relatively soon, and the Indiana Pacers find themselves in the unusual dilemma of having more guys deserving of minutes than minutes available.

Someone’s going to be the odd man out, and it may take some time to shake out, but there are a few different ways the Pacers can look.

Option 1 — The Status Quo

Starters: Jeff Teague, Monta Ellis, Paul George, Thaddeus Young, Myles Turner

Bench: Aaron Brooks, Rodney Stuckey, C.J. Miles, Lavoy Allen, Al Jefferson

The (Possible) Benefits: This is the preferred rotation of Nate McMillan, and they have played more minutes with this lineup than any other. They have more familiarity, and the rotations are already built. The lineup didn’t set the world on fire, but Teague and Ellis struggled at times, and both have played better as the season has worn on.

It would seem likely that the unit would play better over time, simply as a regression to the mean.The bench unit is composed entirely of guys who have proven themselves to be rotation level NBA guys, which is a luxury in today’s NBA.

The Odd Man Out: Glenn Robinson III.

GRIII has looked competent (even good, at times) with the starters. He’s gone 9-19 from deep over the 6 game stretch since PG and C.J. Miles got hurt, and has been nearly even in +/-, clocking in at -3 over that time. He was bad in the Golden State game but played huge minutes with a black eye, and almost all of the Pacers looked awful against the Warriors. However, he’s never looked at home coming off the bench, and this is the first time he’s looked like a rotation level NBA player.

Option 2 — Team Miles and Myles

Starters: Jeff Teague, C.J. Miles, Paul George, Thaddeus Young, Myles Turner

Bench: Rodney Stuckey, Monta Ellis, Glenn Robinson III, Lavoy Allen, Al Jefferson

The (Possible) Benefits: This one’s my personal favorite. The starters get a guy who can catch fire from deep without needing to dominate the ball. Miles played some power forward last year and won’t get bullied by opposing shooting guards. The bench gets bigger with GRIII taking Aaron Brooks minutes and Rodney Stuckey moving to the point guard spot.

The Odd Man Out: Aaron Brooks.

Brooks has hit some big shots for the Pacers, but is sporting a defensive rating of 108, and might currently be more suited for offense-defense type substitutions. Brooks is a consummate pro and would be more likely to be ready at a minute’s notice to rejoin the rotation.

Option 3 — The Trey Dog Takeover

Starters: Jeff Teague, Glenn Robinson III, Paul George, Thaddeus Young, Myles Turner

Bench: Rodney Stuckey, Monta Ellis, C.J. Miles, Lavoy Allen, Al Jefferson 

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The (Possible) Benefits: Glenn Robinson III has looked like a positive contributor while starting. With GRob as a clear 5th option, he doesn’t have to create anything. There’s less pressure on him to make things happen, and he can fill in the blanks around 4 established scorers with energy and athleticism. He’s also been shooting 40% from deep when playing heavy minutes. Like with option 2, the bench gets bigger with Brooks leaving the rotation.

The Odd Man Out: Aaron Brooks.

Other possibilities

Status Quo starters with Brooks, Stuckey, GRob, Miles, and Jefferson off the bench. Miles and Robinson can trade off duties against opposing stretch 4’s, and Allen plays against the traditional behemoths.

Status Quo starters with Brooks, Stuckey, Miles, and Seraphin/Jefferson or Seraphin/Allen. Until recent knee issues, Kevin Seraphin had looked good at times off the Pacers bench, providing a bit more defense than Jefferson and a bit more offensive punch than Allen.

Next: Miller Time Podcast Episode #163 - Trey Dog Rises

Verdict

Nate McMillan has already shown a willingness to juggle his lineups by trying out C.J. Miles with the starters, but he immediately went back to Monta Ellis the next game. The best guess is that he goes back to the status quo as soon as it’s available, and GRob gets a pat on the back and a bit more respect from the guys around him, but not more minutes. A growing number of Pacers fans are ready to see Monta Ellis as a 6th man, but it doesn’t seem like The Indiana Pacers management is there quite yet.