This is why you sign a guy like Kyle O’Quinn

Kyle O’Quinn is showing exactly why the Indiana Pacers signed him in the summer.

I wrote earlier in the season about what a luxury it is for the Indiana Pacers to have Kyle O’Quinn. Most of the purpose of that piece was to serve as a reminder that O’Quinn was a good basketball player. He had only 183 minutes on the season at that point in time, but he was still a nice insurance policy to have.

Since the All-Star break, we have seen why you sign an insurance policy at the center position. Centers are giant people in general. Giant, large people. Large people have more weight on their joints when they move, and they play the most bruising position. Center’s are going to miss a handful of games each season.

Kyle O’Quinn was signed so that the Pacers can have a productive center on the floor even when one of their rotation bigs are hurt. The Pacers rely on Turner and Sabonis for a lot, so it is easier (and smarter) for them to add a third useful big when one or both of those two are out. They can keep their scheme similar and succeed.

Since the All-Star break, we’ve seen KOQ in 5 of 6 games. Myles Turner missed two games with a hip injury, and Domantas Sabonis is currently nursing an ankle injury. O’Quinn filled in for them in varying roles. When Turner was out, he started. With Sabonis out, he came off the bench. In both roles, O’Quinn proved to be a useful contributor.

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As a starter, O’Quinn filled in Turner’s role. He scored the ball well, averaging 8 points a game to go with 8 rebounds. More importantly – his defense was solid, a necessity when in the Indiana Pacers starting 5. Bobby Portis and Julius Randle both had substandard games when being contained by O’Quinn.

On the second unit when replacing Sabonis, KOQ played the Sabonis role well. He set solid screens, kept the ball moving, and popped out for an open jumper every now and again when the defense left it open. He was a solid decision maker and an effective player, passing guys open and supplying energy.

In both roles, he blended those two types of performances. He is a skilled offensive player with some chops on the defensive end. That gives him the capability to play with the Pacers first and second units.

He has his weaknesses. He’s ground-bound and a bit slow which limits him against a ton of players. He’s not great at closeouts and fouls frequently, which lowers the ceiling of the defense when he is on the floor.

But he does so many little things well that he is always a positive player. His 14.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per 36 minutes stat line he has put up since the All-Star break is a testament to everything he can do. The Pacers have needed Kyle O’Quinn, and he had filled in solidly in two different and unique roles.

With Sabonis likely being out for a few more games, having Kyle O’Quinn will continue to be huge for the Pacers. So long as he stays out of foul trouble and can play backup center minutes, he is going to contribute for the Pacers in a big way.