What Will Aaron Brooks Bring to the Indiana Pacers?
By Josh Padmore
Aaron Brooks gives the Indiana Pacers added depth at point guard, but what else does he bring to the table?
Aaron Brooks signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal over the summer with the Indiana Pacers. He’s another small guard added to the roster, but he’s made a reputation at this stage in his career as a solid backup point guard.
Brooks offers eight years of experience compared to the unproven Joe Young, but what exactly does the veteran bring to the Pacers? We look at some of his strengths and weaknesses.
Strength: Scoring
Brooks is one of those guys who can just get buckets, no matter how small he is. He can hit the 3-ball — he’s shot a solid 37.0% from three for his career. He also has proved that he’s capable of producing if his team needs him to start. During the 2014-15 season, he averaged 14.1 and 4.4 APG in 21 starts. He’s simply a dependable backup point guard. You know what you’re going to get from him.
Strength: Speed
Aaron Brooks is fast, even at 31 years old. He can do what the Pacers wanted from Ty Lawson last season: penetrate and create. With all the scoring options in the second unit, Brooks could be more of the playmaker than we’ve seen over the last few years with the Bulls as he averaged almost 3 assists a game.
Strength: Leadership
Brooks has had an interesting career and has had a lot of different experiences. Whether it’s playing in China or getting re-acquired by Houston multiple times, he’s seen a lot. Like most players when they get older in age, Brooks has learned to accept his role and do whatever he has to in order to help his team win. He will be a great mentor for Joe Young, who is also a former Oregon Duck.
Weakness: Defense
Brooks isn’t known to be a great defensive player. He’s under-sized and does have his troubles every now and then keeping in front of his man. Al Jefferson, who will be coming off the bench, doesn’t protect the rim very well. Maybe the Pacers could mix Myles Turner in with the second unit at times to protect the paint some of the the time. Having a great rim protector behind you always alleviates pressure on those backcourt defenders and that something that is needed with Brooks.
Weakness: Consistency
Brooks can have a little bit of trouble putting together solid performances consecutively. He might have a huge game one night, and struggle the next. That won’t be a huge problem this year, since the Pacers have so many other weapons. One of the beautiful things about this team is the fact that they have a lot of guys who can step up if someone else is struggling mightily.
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All-in-all, Brooks will be a solid addition. He very well could just be a one-year rental — like Jordan Hill was last season. Joe Young will have another year to keep developing and I expect him to see a much-increased role during the 2017-18 season.
Until then, Brooks is the backup point guard.