Indiana Pacers: 10 best centers in franchise history

Steve Stipanovich

Steve Stipanovich is a major what-if in the history of not just the Indiana Pacers, but the entire NBA.

Going second overall to the Pacers in the 1983 NBA Draft, he projected to be one of the league’s best big men. His scuffle with Patrick Ewing in 1985 shows just how forceful he was in going up against some of the league’s best.

Stipanovich’s career was cut after just five seasons due to a degenerative knee condition that kept him from completing even the most mundane of tasks.

In his short career with the Pacers, Stipanovich averaged 13.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game with 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks. Though he played for just five seasons, he logged over 30 win shares due to his presence on some of the teams that led up to the greatest era in Pacers history.

Stipanovich might have lasted longer in a league that likes to manage playing time and hold players out when they can, especially those with injuries similar to the one that ended Stipanovich’s career. He played no fewer than 79 games in any of his years with Indiana, a remarkable feat for someone with a degenerative injury bad enough to end his career.

Myles Turner

Similar to Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner ranking outside of the top five might feel a bit late in the leaderboard, but Turner’s next few years could make or break his ultimate ranking.

Currently, in his fifth year with the team and in the league, Turner has flashed some really brilliant defensive capabilities and operates as a fulcrum for the Pacers on that end of the floor.

While Turner’s counting stats have taken a step back in 2020, he’s been as resilient as ever, and much of his stats going down can be attributed to the insertion of Sabonis into the starting lineup alongside Turner.

Turner was caught off guard with a sudden request for a role change. The Pacers now ask him to take more 3-pointers than ever before, something that helps provide Sabonis with space on the interior to go to work.

Turner’s 3-point shooting is one of his most unique attributes of the players on this list. On his career, he hits the long ball at a rate of higher than 35 percent with 2.1 attempts per game (this year, 33.6 percent on 4.2 attempts per game).

Turner is a major defensive force, often deflecting shots at the rim and acting as the last line of defense for the Pacers defense, which is ranked 7th in the NBA in 2020.

So far, Turner averages 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. He led the league in blocks per game in 2019 and has Defensive Player of the Year potential.