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Pacers Preseason Roundtable: Expectations, hopes, and fears

By William Furr

INDIANAPOLIS - SEPTEMBER 24: Doug McDermott #20, Victor Oladipo #4 and Tyreke Evans #12 of the Indiana Pacers pose for a head shot during the Pacers Media Day on September 24, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS - SEPTEMBER 24: Doug McDermott #20, Victor Oladipo #4 and Tyreke Evans #12 of the Indiana Pacers pose for a head shot during the Pacers Media Day on September 24, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 4: Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets during a pre-season game on October 4, 2018 at Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /

What player do you think can improve the most, or be the most surprising contributor?

Eamer: Most people will say Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis or Tyreke Evans but in terms of improving the most… Victor has said he wants to “take it to another level” and I am in no way inclined to call him out on that, he’s constantly proven people wrong in this last year and his attitude is perfect to keep doing that. If he can take it to another level and become a top 10 player in this league, then wow.

Krieger: I would not have said this two weeks ago, but I think second-year stretch-four TJ Leaf has a real chance to carve out a nice bench role this season. Leaf had a surprisingly solid and effective preseason where he looked pretty comfortable on the offensive side of the floor. He mentioned in a post-game interview that the game seems to be slowing down for him a bit in his second year, and it shows.

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We all knew Leaf could shoot, but what excited me the most from his preseason campaign this year was his work on the offensive glass. He wound up averaging almost 4 offensive rebounds per game, including 7 in the preseason opener against Houston. These offensive boards will be huge for the bench unit and should lead to some easy second-chance buckets. TJ Leaf should be an impactful contributor off the bench, even if he still has facial hair that makes him look like the Fourth Musketeer.

Pfeifer: I’m excited to see what strides Domantas Sabonis can take this year. In the preseason, he has looked much improved from last season. He’s dominated on the inside in the preseason, averaging 15.3 points and 11.8 boards per game. He has been a menace on the glass and his offensive touch has been solid.

Sabonis will look to improve on his self-creation this season as he’s already a fantastic passer. One thing to watch is the Sabonis-Tyreke Evans pick and roll. They have shown great chemistry in the preseason and that should carry over to the ones that count.

Furr: Edmond Sumner is going to be a popular pick here (and one I wholeheartedly support), but for the sake of difference, I’ll go with… Edmond Sumner. I can’t say otherwise, I think he’s going to be excellent. I liked the pick, and I think there’s a good chance he winds up being the 10th man in the Pacers rotation by the end of the year. (If I had to take someone besides Sumner, I’d say Kyle O’Quinn.

He’ll get a chance at some point, whether due to injury, foul troubles, or rebounding woes, and I think he’ll be better than most fans expect, but I already believe he’s better than most fans realize.)

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