The Indiana Pacers are set to play for the first time since the bubble.
Thank the Basketball Gods! The Indiana Pacers are once again back in action tonight as they will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first of three preseason games. This will be the first time we have seen the Pacers since the first-round exit in Orlando and a few things have changed for the Pacers. These are the three things I’m looking forward to as we get to see the first glimpse of this version of the Indiana Pacers.
Nate Bjorkgren’s system
Pacers fans across the globe have been waiting to see how this team will play under new Head Coach Nate Bjorkgren. Tonight we will get our first look at this new system and what it will entail.
From day one, Nate Bjorkgren has said there is going to be a lot of movement on both sides of the ball. Multiple Pacer players have come out and said there has been a lot of movement with the new system, reinforcing Bjorkgren’s statements.
Tonight’s game will give us a glimpse of what to expect from the new system and even Nate Bjorkgren himself. How will he use Myles Turner? Will T.J. Warren play any at the four? A new era of Pacers basketball is upon us and tonight is the prologue.
Cassius Stanley’s debut
This may seem like a little bit of a long shot since it is the first game of preseason and continuity will need to be developed, but could we possibly get our first look at the most recent draft choice of the Pacers?
The Pacers drafted Cassius Stanley out of Duke with the 54th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Stanley is a 6-foot 6-inch wing with eye-popping athleticism, highlight-reel dunk ability, and a solid outside shot to pair. Stanley averaged 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest all while shooting 36 percent from 3 point land.
Early reports have been that Stanley is making a good impression with the Pacers. Could he be rewarded tonight with some playing time? I hope he is and we are able to get a highlight reel dunk or two.
Domantas Sabonis back in action
Tonight will be the first time since the hiatus of last season that we will see Domantas Sabonis play in a game. An All-Star last season, Domantas Sabonis missed all of the Orlando Bubble with Plantar Fasciitis. The last time we saw Sabonis he was averaging 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 5 assists per contest.
Tonight will be interesting for Sabonis. We will get to see if he is fully healthy or not, how he fits into this new system, and what his role will be.
One thing I do know for sure is that it will be awesome to finally see Sabonis back in action for the Pacers. Granted this is a pre-season game and he probably won’t play a ton of minutes, but it’s still great, nonetheless, to see him back in action.