Indiana Pacers: Wing depth remains a big concern heading into the season

The Indiana Pacers still face a challenge with their lack of wing depth.

The 2020-21 NBA season is nearly a month away from beginning and the Indiana Pacers have a huge question mark in their rotation. With Justin Holiday hitting free agency and Jeremy Lamb coming off of a severe knee injury, the Pacers may be shorthanded on the wing.

If the starting rotation remains intact, the Pacers will have a lot of talent on the floor. However, there is a clear hole on the wings if the Pacers decide to use a 10-man rotation. In general, the second unit for Indiana is very promising as Aaron Holiday and Goga Bitadze have a lot of upside as young players.

If Justin Holiday leaves in free agency, Indiana will likely be down to just two wing options to start the season. Doug McDermott, a streaky shooter who can be a game-changer, will likely play the backup forward spots depending on lineups. But until Jeremy Lamb returns, Edmond Sumner may be the only other wing option for Indiana.

Having Sumner and McDermott on the floor together, and playing primarily in the frontcourt, is not ideal for Indiana. Sumner is a good defender with plenty of speed but I do not think he will survive if he has to consistently guard bigger wings.

I like Sumner quite a bit thanks to his ability to finish at the rim and in transition, but his lack of size and strength will be a huge factor in his ability to play more of a forward than a guard. Of course, the Pacers can still add a free agent or find someone in the draft to fill that void.

Justin Holiday also has a chance to return to Indiana and provide them with a two-way forward that they desperately need next season. With just over a month remaining to figure things out, the Pacers may want to start thinking of ways to mix in guys to play meaningful bench minutes alongside Aaron Holiday.

The team can split up the minutes, obviously, to have starters split the floor and keep two quality wings on the floor at all times. T.J. Warren and Victor Oladipo can mesh with Holiday, McConnell, and McDermott to share some of that extra load.

While Jeremy Lamb was a bit of a letdown last season, he will bounce back once he finds his role in Indiana. It is now just a matter of getting him healthy and carving out a role in the rotation for the veteran.