Indiana Pacers: 30 greatest players in franchise history

13. Jalen Rose

Another member of the Indiana Pacers team that made it to the NBA Finals, Jalen Rose had a bit of a roller coaster of a 5 and a half year span in Indianapolis. Initially (unhappily) coming off of the bench, Rose had to prove he deserved minutes on the floor. Eventually, his patience paid off, and his career took a major uptick.

His third season in Indiana ended with the Pacers being crowned Eastern Conference Champions. Rose led the Pacers in points that season, outscoring the legendary Reggie Miller. In the following 2 years, Rose continued to grow in the scoring department and broke 20 points per game in both 2000-2001 and 2001-2002.

He became a solid scorer from range, and put the work in to become a better playmaker too, oftentimes setting his teammates up for an easy bucket. Rose wasn’t superstar-caliber in any one area, but he was very well-rounded.

A nearly perennial All-Star snub, Jalen Rose was at least rewarded with with a Most Improved Player award in the 1999-2000 campaign. He’s not as decorated as some others on this list, but he stuck around long enough and played at a high enough level on some incredibly competitive teams to deserve a No. 13 ranking here.