3 goals for Myles Turner in his 2019-20 Indiana Pacers campaign
By Ryan Eggers
Making things work with Domantas Sabonis
The talk of the past few seasons in the new era of Indiana Pacers basketball has centered around their two best young players — who happen to occupy the same position on the floor. Debates of which center is better have persisted throughout both of their tenures, but the departure of Thaddeus Young has finally brought the situation to a head: the stud big men will be starting together.
The duo shared 429 minutes of on-court action together last season, garnering a net rating of +2.8. This seems promising, but still lags behind where the Pacers want their starting lineup net rating to be (their usual starting lineup last year had a net rating of +5.3).
Their skills, in theory, are pretty opposite, giving them plenty of room to carve out different roles in the starting frontcourt. Sabonis has a much more careful eye and dept footwork in the low post and is more skilled as a passer than Turner. Turner laps Sabonis on defense and is much more comfortable knocking down a three-point shot.
For this pairing to work, Turner is going to have to cover for Sabonis’ mistakes on the defensive end of the floor, a duty he seldom had to worry about when partnered up with Young. Turner will have to act as the floor general, and will likely have more drives coming his way then he’s used to from previous seasons.
On the offensive end, Turner has to make the three-point shot work. The paint can’t be clogged with both big men 24/7, and Sabonis is a much better fit down low, which means Turner has to remain a threat from the perimeter. His percentage last year should mark fear in opposing defenses, but if his volume doesn’t increase, it won’t cause enough damage to matter.
As a matter of fact, three-point shooting is so important for Turner this season that … it might as well be another goal.