T.J. Warren grew into an established two-way role in his first year with the Indiana Pacers. Here are the top five moments from his 2019-20 season.
On NBA Draft night, the Indiana Pacers received T.J. Warren in a trade with the Phoenix Suns. All they sent the Suns for Warren was cash considerations.
What the Pacers got in Warren was a player that had already established himself as a premier offensive player, one that was highly sought after for the Pacers roster.
What they were unaware of were the underrated defensive skills that were ready to blossom upon arrival as well.
Throughout the season, Warren has provided the Pacers with a boost on both ends of the floor, here are a few of his pivotal moments this past season.
An offensive showing for T.J. Warren against Charlotte Hornets
At the beginning of January, the Pacers and Warren went on the road, taking care of the Charlotte Hornets, 115-104.
What started as a back and forth game with the Hornets taking a two-point lead at halftime turned into the T.J. Warren show in the second half.
Warren and the Pacers outscored the opposition by 16 points in the third quarter, thanks in large part to Warren’s scoring outburst to start the second half. Warren scored the Pacers first nine points of the third quarter while on his way to a season-high 36 points on 63 percent shooting.
In the first three and a half minutes of the third period, the Pacers forced four Hornets turnovers while Warren found his way to the free-throw line in consecutive trips down the floor with one being a freebie to seal the three-point play.
While a season-high of 36 points may have been an impressing feat for Warren, what encapsulated that epic performance was how he did it against the Hornets. With all of the buckets coming from inside the three-point line, Warren scored 30 in the second half, with 17 coming in the fourth quarter and took just six free-throws all game long.