8 points, 9 seconds
Fansided

Indiana Pacers Preview Series: The Central Division

By Jonathan Matthes

MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 04: John Henson #31 of the Milwaukee Bucks jumps against Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers to start a preseason game at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on October 4, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 04: John Henson #31 of the Milwaukee Bucks jumps against Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers to start a preseason game at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on October 4, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – OCTOBER 10: Lance Stephenson, TJ Leaf, Myles Turner, some other guy and Bojan Bogdanovic
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – OCTOBER 10: Lance Stephenson, TJ Leaf, Myles Turner, some other guy and Bojan Bogdanovic /

INDIANA PACERS

2016-17 Record: 42-40, 3rd in Central, 7th in the East

Projected Starters: PG Darren Collison, SG Victor Oladipo, SF Bojan Bogdanovic, PF Thaddeus Young, C Myles Turner. Rotation: Lance Stephenson, Domantas Sabonis, T.J. Leaf, Cory Joseph, Glenn Robinson III. Head Coach: Nate McMillan 520-492, 2nd year in Indy. Average core age: 25.

You should never read too much into preseason games, but most teams don’t play their top guys as much as Indiana did. And the blue and gold looked good. The starters meshed well, Larry Bird’s dream of a fast paced offense seems to have been realized, and the rumors about you-know-who wanting to go you-know-where are at a two year low.

Something that was really telling from the preseason was the minutes distributed on offense, and who lead the team in scoring.

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The Pacers have committed to a one big, stretch four lineup. Myles Turner and Thaddeus Young will lead off with Domantas Sabonis and rookie T.J. Leaf in relief. Turner and Sabonis provide the muscle down low, while Young and Leaf bring very different spins to the modern four. Young excels working the baseline grabbing the easy twos that minimize the impact of his balky left hand. Young also led the team in rebounds this preseason. Leaf is a sniper, he shot 60-percent from three in preseason play. That doesn’t mean he’s going to make every shot, but it does mean he didn’t leave his shooting touch at UCLA. Plus it makes the Pacers’ offense all that much more dangerous.

The second point is points. Indy’s top two scorers were Victor Oladipo (15.7) and Turner (13.7). Third and fourth were Lance Stephenson (13.3) and Sabonis (12.3). It’s telling because those are the Pacers’ two and five from their starting and secondary units. The Pacers can run their offense the same way no matter the situation. Both Oladipo and Stephenson will lead their respective attacks, with Turner and Sabonis being the reliable second target. It’s a mini-version of the 90’s Reggie Miller and Rik Smits-centered offense.

The unanswerable question is can Nate McMillan actually get the most out of his young team? McMillan didn’t foster many disciples among the fanbase, but he could change that with a playoff run this year. While Indiana’s playoff chances seemed impossible three months ago, it shouldn’t be now. No one has a perfect team in this year’s Eastern Conference, and Indiana would have to be an abject disaster to finish worse than 11th. If Indy’s gets the development they expect from Oladipo and Turner, and if the Pacers play hard they very well could make the playoffs for the 16th time in the last 21 years, second most in the NBA.

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