Indiana Pacers: 3 players with something to prove in the second half
By Luke Parrish
Guard Malcolm Brogdon
Similar to Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon was incredible to start the season and was beginning to look like a true face-of-the-franchise point guard. After coming back down to Earth a bit to end the first half, Brogdon will need to step up and lead the Pacers into the playoffs.
Indiana runs a lot of the offense through Brogdon and he has shown that he can pop off for big nights without much hesitation. The only downside is that Malcolm has been having far too many off nights to keep being one of the primary shooters. His poor play was reflective of the team’s lack of success as they barely survived the last few weeks before the All-Star break.
The Pacers should still have high hopes for Brogdon moving forward. He has grown immensely since entering the NBA and even in his two seasons with the Pacers. Indiana gave up a first-round pick to get him as well, making his presence even more pressing in the eyes of fans.
If the Pacers desire to pose any real threat to the rest of the Eastern Conference, Malcolm Brogdon has to step up and play high-quality basketball on a nightly basis. The team cannot afford for him to shoot 25 shots per night and not connect on the majority of them.