3 ways Tyreke Evans makes the Indiana Pacers better

Tyreke Evans will help out the starters, too

While Evans is coming off the bench in Indiana, he is obviously of starting quality. And for that reason, it won’t be surprising to see Tyreke playing some blended minutes with Oladipo and company.

That’s something that’s already on his mind and he is looking forward to. As we saw in the playoffs, Oladipo could use the help.

The benefit is clear as Oladipo can take on most of the league’s best in one-on-one situations. When Evans gets blended in with the starters, the calculus opponents do when determining when to help and cover Oladipo only gets harder.

Evans could replace Darren Collison to give Indiana a pair of attacking ball handlers on the floor, or replace Bojan Bogdanovic if the Pacers wanted to keep their point guard on the floor. Either way, it gives the offense the chance to take pressure off Oladipo.

The Grizzlies played their best basketball last season with Tyreke on the floor, and once they find the right combination of players with Evans, Indiana should play some of their best, too.

By having two guys who can make plays, as Kevin Pritchard was quoted saying, the Pacers have two guys to give defenses headaches. Two guys who can run the pick and roll. Two guys you that need guarding against beyond the arc. Two guys that attack the basket.

Evans isn’t perfect, of course, as he was one of the league’s more turnover prone players in his first stint with the Sacramento Kings and then with the New Orleans Pelicans. While he has lowered his turnovers to near the league’s average in recent seasons, injuries robbed him of playing time and some explosiveness needed for finishing at the rim.

But even if some of those old habits resurface, Evan’s role as a sixth-man allows the Indiana Pacers to pick and choose their battles with him. The Pacers can look to exploit their opponents’ weaknesses while minimizing their own with him.

Tyreke Evans won’t have the same swagger Lance Stephenson did or some of the intangibles that made him a fan favorite, but Tyreke is the super-sub that they always wanted Born Ready to be.