Pacers land trio of bigs in SI’s Top 100

The Indiana Pacers landed three of their bigs — Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Thaddeus Young — in Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 NBA players.

It’s hard to say the Indiana Pacers frontcourt is lacking talent after a trio of bigs — Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Thaddeus Young — ended up on The Crossover’s 2019 NBA 100.

With the first 50 players released, it is expected that Victor Oladipo will show up later on the list, but for now, we know of at least these three cracking the list.

Sabonis is the first to appear at No. 79, followed by Young at No. 76. Turner drops in at No. 67, one spot ahead of an injured DeMarcus Cousins.

While the three Pacers are on the list, all three play different roles in various styles for Indiana. Sabonis is a double-double machine, Thad is the reliable glue-guy, and Myles is a rim-protecting and efficient shooter.

Let’s take a look at what The Crossover had to say about these three.

No. 79 — Domantas Sabonis

A common theme for the Pacers last season was fit and opportunity. While Oladipo was the headliner in that case, Sabonis’ season followed a similar narrative, just on a smaller scale.

Rob Mahoney picked up on that theme in his capsule on Sabonis.

"The entire demeanor of Sabonis’s game changed. Gone was the petrified rookie, replaced instead by an intuitive scorer and playmaker. Making decisions off the pick-and-roll and working out of the post gave Sabonis his bearings. These were spaces he knew how to navigate, full of reads he had encountered before. An easy chemistry formed between Sabonis and Victor Oladipo. The Pacers came to rely on him, so much so that Sabonis became the pressure release when Indiana’s guards ran into traps in the postseason. Sabonis isn’t perfect (concern over his lackluster defense is perfectly valid), but the feel he’s shown suggests he’s an uncommon talent."

It’s hard to argue with any of that. There was plenty to love in Sabonis’ game, particularly the moments where his basketball IQ shone the brightest.

In the pick and roll, he knew where to move to find space without looking. It is hard to quantify his feel for the game, but from his first moments with Indiana, it was clear he knew where to be and where other players were, even if he didn’t have them in his line of sight.

Of course, his defense could use some work, but for a player that seemed statistically a bust after a rookie season, Domas averaging double-doubles with the starters showed he just needed to find the right situation.

No. 76 — Thaddeus Young

A team leader and utility big of sorts, Young is Indiana’s second-oldest player and voice of reason.

But he isn’t just a mentor, he is a big part of the Pacers success, second only to Oladipo. His strengths come in his reliability and consistent statistical output. He rarely has off-nights as he finds ways to contribute without the ball in his hands.

Once again, Mahoney has the right words to describe how Young contributes to the Pacers.

"Young is the defender who phases out Kevin Love, pushing LeBron James to the brink of a first-round elimination. The integrity of Indiana’s entire system hinges on Young’s ability to cover ground. You don’t have to switch pick-and-rolls when a player like Young can cover the gaps. His steal rate was the highest among bigs precisely because he understands how to play the space between show and recover. You won’t get much more than random, opportunistic scoring out of Young, but his court sense brings an added functionality to so many of his team’s pursuits. The Pacers may have been the best story of last season and Young, impressively, their second-best player."

He is the polar opposite of Oladipo in the sense that he doesn’t need the ball to make his impact. But just like Victor, his knack for steals plays an outsized role in why Indiana’s defense works.

Young is the type of player teams want — unselfish but efficient when given opportunities — and the Pacers should be grateful he opted into the final season on his contract.

No. 67 — Myles Turner

Myles Turner’s spot at No. 67 says much about his potential, one that Pacers fans are looking for him to tap into this upcoming season.

Once again, Mahoney is on the money when it comes to his breakdown.

"This ranking is a balance. Turner has the profile of a player who could take a big step this season but still faces a burden of proof in pulling it all together. Development is rarely linear. There will be fits and starts, breakthroughs and frustrations. Maybe last season could have gone differently for Turner if he weren’t dealing with an elbow injury or gradually recovering from a concussion. All we know for certain is what we saw: another decent season with some marginal improvement and all the hallmarks of a player still finding his place in the league."

That potential is the same reason many grow frustrated with Turner despite his above average play. He looks like someone who could average 15 points and 10 rebounds, or some near-double-double line, but his 12.7 points and 6.4 rebounds neither show his ability or his impact.

Waiting on Myles Turner is a past time of Pacers fans, but in the final season of his current contract, it feels make or break as far as his future earnings — and the Pacers future success — are concerned.

Now we wait to see where the Crossover puts Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo.