8p9s Roundtable: The Pacers are better than expected, but is trouble ahead?

Who (or what) has been the biggest disappointment?

Eggers: Another obvious one: Myles Turner. This is year 3- the year we usually see stars break out. Instead, Turner’s numbers have dipped in almost all statistical categories, while fellow 2015 draftees like Kristaps Porzingis and Devin Booker are having their expected breakout year.

Some of this can be attributed to some unfortunate injuries, but Turner still is failing outright when it comes to offensive aggressiveness and taking/making 3-point shots, a major point of emphasis for the guy who was supposed to take over the load offensively this year.

Obviously, the success of Oladipo changed those plans a bit, but there’s no reason why Turner shouldn’t have been able to make somewhat of a leap this year.

Furr: To me it’s Cory Joseph, but only because of the probably too high expectations I had for him. I thought he was a better shooter than his numbers coming into this year had shown, and I thought the Pacers starting 5 would benefit more from his shooting and defense than from what Darren Collison brought.

He hasn’t shown a starting level of basic playmaking, and Darren Collison has been much better than expected. I thought there was a real chance that CoJo would be the starting point guard to end the season and moving forward into his next contract. Short of injury, I don’t see him claiming that role just yet.

Renz: Dipo’s knee soreness and Myles’ sprained elbow.

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I had mentally prepared to be disappointed by nothing during this 2017-18 Pacers season and threw all expectations out of my thin, energy-deficient windows. Because of that, this season has exclusively consisted of surprises.

But Dipo’s five absences have been felt, and it’s unlikely that he plays out the remainder of the season without occasionally missing another game or two. By the same token, Myles has missed nine games so far, and is currently listed as week-to-week after hurting his elbow while dunking – simultaneously the coolest and uncoolest way to injure oneself.

Time will tell just how harmful these injuries will prove to be to the Pacers’ season. Cross your fingers, and try not to receive some freak injury doing so.

East: Glenn Robinson III’s injury. Robinson III was a part of the Pacers plans in both the present and the future. He was going to be one of the most prominent members of the rotation this year, and was looking to be groomed into a starter at some point down the line. His ankle injury unfortunately hurts both of those timelines, and it has been disappointing to see the amount of time he has missed already.

Gibson: It’s Myles Turner, but with a grain of salt. The injuries have now kept him out of roughly a quarter of the Pacers’ games this season. It’s hard for me to believe a 21-year-old got significantly worse over the offseason.

Turner was leading the league in blocks while still having to be the most overworked center when it comes to defending the rim. Maybe this season ends up being a wash, but I’d be shocked if Myles Turner doesn’t bounce back at some point.