Indiana Pacers: Briefly grading each player’s season so far

These Indiana Pacers had solid seasons

Malcolm Brogdon: B+

Malcolm Brogdon seems to get a lot of disdain from Pacers fans, something I don’t think he deserves.

Yes, his efficiency took a dip after his 50/40/90 year. His volume of attempts increased and his role expanded quite a bit.

Yes, he was injured for much of the year off and on. That’s nothing new from him, as he’s yet to come close to 82 games played in his career.

Yes, the team gave up assets to get him when they maybe shouldn’t have, but that isn’t his fault and should not be taken into account when evaluating his production.

Brogdon has the team’s second-best BPM, PER, and is third in VORP. He’s third in points per game, rebounds, and first in assists per game.

What more exactly do you want from your starting point guard?

Sure, it would be helpful if he was hitting more than 31.3 percent of his threes from beyond the arc. I’m willing to give it another season before I mark him as a bad shooter, though. His shot profile has changed drastically in the Pacers system, with him attempting 18.8 percent of his shots in the midrange this year (previous high for a season in that range was 8.8 percent).

Having to adjust to a new system that completely alters your shot profile isn’t always smooth.

All things considered, Brogdon has been good.

T.J. McConnell: B+

T.J. McConnell is a rugged player willing to do whatever he can to help his team win.

Knowing he is limited in terms of physique on the defensive end in half-court sets, McConnell often employs the full-court press, hounding the opposing point guard, making it hard for them to maximize the time on the shot clock on defense.

When he gets the ball he pushes it as quickly as possible to ensure he can catch opposing defenses off guard as often as possible.

He’s not the greatest shooter, but he’s an OK facilitator. If he can add an outside shot at any point in his career, this grade will shoot right up.

What McConnell is doing as an undrafted player is nothing to scoff at. B+ might even be underselling him a bit, but given his lack of efficiency in basic pick-and-roll sets (he sits in the middle-50 percentiles each year in PnR plays) it’s hard to give him higher than that.

Justin Holiday: B+

Justin Holiday signed a one-year contract that might have the Pacers wishing they signed on for more. Joining his brother Aaron in Indiana this summer, he slid right into the Pacers plans and offered a really versatile skillset that helped the Pacers in a variety of ways.

His length and athleticism allow for him to be slotted anywhere from 1-to-4 (in rare situations) and gave Nate McMillan the flexibility to utilize him where he was needed most.

Holiday’s BPM was third-highest on the team, his DBPM second-highest. He was the team’s second-best shooter from beyond the arc and provided a jolt wherever he could.