Oshae Brissett has arguably been the story of the season for the Indiana Pacers. Since joining the team late in the campaign, he has continually exceeded expectations and found new ways to impress.
The starting lineup now revolves around Brissett as one of the only reliable options each night as the rest of the crew deals with injuries. He and Justin Holiday have become staples of the starting five and that will probably be the case in the next play-in game as well.
Oshae Brissett continues to shine for the Indiana Pacers
The sudden news that Caris LeVert would be out for the first play-in game – and for 10-14 days if the Pacers advance – left many Pacers fans in doubt of a win over the Hornets. Oshae had other plans.
Fresh off a 31-point performance to cap off the regular season, Brissett dropped a game-high 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting. He also knocked down 3-of-6 of his attempts from deep while adding five boards. His 33 minutes were tied with Sabonis, who had a monstrous game of his own, posting 14 points, 21 rebounds, and 9 assists.
The Pacers pulled off an impressive win over Charlotte in a game they dominated from the jump. Brissett and Doug McDermott carried a lot of the scoring, combining for 44 points en route to a 144-117 victory.
As Indiana plans for the future beyond this season, Oshae has almost guaranteed himself a crucial role on the squad. His quick ascendance into a starting role has been nothing short of astounding. The Pacers have their hands on a valuable young asset that has already proven his worth over the past two months.
If the Pacers play themselves out of a lottery pick by beating the Wizards and earning a playoff spot, they should take some pride in Brissett. Having him on the roster for two more years is probably more impactful than any rookie they could get with a late lottery pick, although the lottery still has to play out.
No matter how the rest of this season goes, Oshae Brissett has been a joy to watch. I cannot wait to see how his future with Indiana pans out.