Indiana Pacers: Most impactful players of the season thus far

The Indiana Pacers made a great trade for a super impactful player in T.J. Warren.

2. T.J. Warren

It was hard knowing exactly what T.J. Warren was going to give the Pacers when they traded for him last summer. His 18 points per game were impressive, but it was also accomplished on a struggling Suns team.

Being the go-to guy for a team with nothing to gain often isn’t as difficult as leading a team with serious playoff hopes like the Pacers. Likewise, his jump from a 22.8 to 42.8 3-point percentage in one season was shocking, but it wasn’t clear if he could maintain the hot shooting.

Over halfway through the season Warren has proved his scoring prowess is for real. He’s averaged 18.7 points per game with a hyper-efficient 52.9 percent efficiency from the field in his first season with the Pacers.

Though his 3-point percentage has dropped to 37.5, that’s still enough to force defenses to respect him from deep, and can be attributed to a more well-rounded shot-profile than Warren has ever put out in his career.

With Victor Oladipo out, Warren has been the go-to shot creator night in and night out. He has an uncanny ability to hit midrange floaters; often over the outstretched arms of defenders. His proficiency at the midrange shot and craftiness around the rim has made him a true walking bucket.

Warren is one of the few Pacers this year who can get his own shots by himself, and this has without a doubt kept the Pacers afloat in the Eastern Conference standings.

While his 1.4 assists per game signify his struggles to get others involved in offense, Warren does exactly what the Pacers have needed from him all season: score the ball.

Don’t underestimate the value of a go-to scorer like Warren, who gives the Pacers nearly 20 points a night. His consistently stellar efforts on the offensive end make him one of the most impactful Pacers so far this season.