The Indiana Pacers are starting off the season at a very high level sitting on a 5-2 record. Can any of the starting five make the All-Star team?
The Indiana Pacers are off to a hot start this season. The Pacers through two weeks have amassed a 5-2 record and the core of the team is playing at a very high level. This begs the question will any of the starters get the nod to be on the All-Star team this year? Unfortunately for Pacers fans, dark horse candidate T.J. Warren will not be considered due to his injury.
Realistically I can see three of our starters having a legitimate shot at making the All-Star team this season with the possibility of even a fourth player getting a look. With no further adieu here are the players I think have a chance to make the All-Star team this year.
Domantas Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis, to me, is the obvious choice for the Pacers this season. The Lithuanian Hammer is continuing where he left off last season, putting up incredible numbers once again. This season Sabonis so far is putting up better numbers than last year, averaging 20.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists. His point and assist totals are up from a season ago in a year that he made the All-Star team.
The biggest improvement with Sabonis’ game is his three-point shot. Sabonis is shooting 52.9 percent from three-point range on around 2.5 shots a game. Last season, it was rare to see Domas fire one up beyond the arc and now he has the green light. Sabonis is my top pick for anyone on the Pacers to make an All-star team.
Victor Oladipo
Victor Oladipo, a two-time All-Star, has been in fine form the first six games he has played in this season. Oladipo athletically has looked a lot like Oladipo of old recently, something Pacers fans have been waiting a long time for. He is averaging 20.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Oladipo’s averages this season look very familiar to his second All-Star year that was cut short by his injury, which saw him average 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists.
If Oladipo can continue this level of production throughout the season I think it’s quite possible he could sneak into one of the final slots on the All-Star team. With Oladipo in a contract year, the motivation is there for him to shoot for that goal.
Malcolm Brogdon
Malcolm Brogdon is having a career year so far in this young NBA season. The President has flourished in Nate Bjorkgren’s new system, seeming like a perfect fit for the fast style of play the Pacers want to use. Brogdon has posted career highs in points and steals per game, proving he is the perfect point guard for this system.
Brogdon is averaging 22 points, seven assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game all while shooting an effective field goal percentage of 61 percent. Brogdon has been on a tear offensively as he sits at 11th in the league in offensive box plus-minus posting a 5.6. He is also knocking on the 50/40/90 club’s door once again this season. If Brogdon can continue to put up these numbers on a winning Indiana Pacers team it will be hard to look past that come time for All-Star selections.
Myles Turner
Now this one may seem like a long shot and I’ll probably be buried for this pick online, but I feel Myles Turner could have some sneaky dark horse potential. Offensively there have been some minor improvements with Myles as he has more freedom within the offense and the green light on three-point shots. Myles Turner looks the most fluid we’ve ever seen him this season and it shows up with his dribble-drive game and his ability to make moves to the rim.
The aspect that needs to be looked at for Myles’ case is the defensive side of the ball. Turner is having a career year defensively. Turner leads the league in STOCKS per game with 5.2. Myles has continued to be a nightmare around the rim, thriving in Nate Bjorkgren’s defensive scheme. Myles is the most unlikely of the four players mentioned that could make the All-Star team, but nothing is impossible. If Turner gets hot for a month or two I wouldn’t be surprised to see his name start being brought up in All-Star conversations.