Indiana Pacers: How likely are their candidates to make the All-Star game?

How many Indiana Pacers will make the All-Star team in 2021?

Heading into the season, the Indiana Pacers were considered one of the bottom seeds in the Eastern Conference with no real stars on the roster. Fast forward two months and the Pacers are fifth in the East and have three players fighting for an All-Star appearance. How likely are they to make the team this season?

Myles Turner to represent the Indiana Pacers?

Yes, I know, Myles Turner is a massive reach for the All-Star game because defense is not valued in voting for the highlight-filled event. Turner is having a career year and is on pace to win the Defensive Player of the Year award by season’s end. He is shooting well from all over the floor, knocking down a career-high 51.3 percent of his attempts.

He is also up to 14.0 points per game, his highest performance since 2016-17 when he scored 14.5 points per game in his first season as a starter. But that’s not enough to put him in contention for the All-Star game as we all know. In fact, he was not in the top-10 in the first count of fan votes that were released this week.

Defensively, Turner can make a bit of a case for a bid thanks to his league-leading 3.8 blocks per game and additional 1.3 steals. His presence near the rim has opponents staying outside or risking making the wrong end of the highlight reels. Turner is a menace under the basket and the Pacers would be one of the worst defenses in the league without his presence on that end. However, that won’t be enough to sway voters.

Likelihood: No chance

Can Malcolm Brogdon become an All-Star for the Indiana Pacers?

The Pacers have to be pleased with the growth from Malcolm Brogdon this season. He is averaging a career-best 22.4 points while shooting .454/.401/.900 splits in his second season with Indiana. He has taken over the scoring this season, setting a new career-high for points once a week it feels like.

Brogdon has put up three incredible performances that come to mind. He scored 36 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds in a win over the Raptors back in January. He also had 35 points and seven assists against Houston and another 33 points and seven assists against the Knicks earlier that same month.

Brogdon has arguably been the best player for the Pacers this season and is the most deserving of an All-Star spot in my opinion. He knocks down big shots and has carried the Pacers when the offense is slow to get going. The only problem is that the Eastern Conference is home to several big-name guards who will challenge Brogdon for a spot.

With James Harden, Bradley Beal, Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, and Trae Young all having insane numbers to start the season, the road for Brogdon is very tough. With no dunk contest to show off skills, the NBA may vote Zach Lavine into the game and he is also pretty deserving of a spot. He is currently fifth in East guards while Brogdon was not on the early list.

Likelihood: 30 percent

Do the Indiana Pacers get a back-to-back appearance?

Domantas Sabonis is filling the stat sheet and dominating his competition on a nightly basis for the Pacers this season. His 21.6 points and 5.7 assists are both career highs while also adding an astounding 12.0 rebounds per game.

Sabonis has been stellar for Indiana and is the most likely player to get into the game if Indiana sends anyone to the annual event. He has stepped up for the Pacers in a big way, playing 36.5 minutes per night and shooting 15.0 attempts per game. He has added to his perimeter shooting game, jacking up 2.7 attempts from deep this season and converting 37.3 percent of them.

Free throws are another area that Domas has improved, upping his total to 5.6 attempts per game from just 4.8 last season. The Pacers have struggled a bit but Sabonis is not at fault. His numbers are that of a player striving for another All-Star appearance but once again, the talent he is competing against will be tough.

Sabonis is currently seventh among Eastern Conference frontcourt players in voting and is 130,000 votes behind Bam Adebayo who is one spot ahead of him. With Gordon Hayward and Jerami Grant both trailing Sabonis but having big seasons, his push for a selection will not be easy.

I don’t see him surpassing Jayson Tatum or Jimmy Butler before voting ends, which does not bode well for Domas. He could be on the outside looking in as we approach the March All-Star Game.

Likelihood: 40 percent