Indiana Pacers: 5-step plan for a perfect offseason

Step 4: The Indiana Pacers must settle the Turner-Sabonis conundrum

One of the things where Indiana Pacers fans constantly parley on is whether the team should move on from Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis. With another season of mediocrity deploying both bigs in the starting lineup, the quandary between the two talented centers is looming larger as the team is yet to make postseason noise with both of them at the helm.

It’s easy to say that two-time All-Star (and counting) Sabonis should be given undisputed favor, but despite his offensive talent and continuous improvement, the numbers tell a different story. His outright lack of defensive prowess has largely contributed to the team’s steep decline on defense this season, one of the many factors for Indiana’s abrupt decline.

On the other hand, Turner is a DPOY candidate who instantly impacts the outlook of the game with his presence alone. An otherworldly shot blocker, he singlehandedly forces the offense to morph into a less effective attack. While his offense is far from what Sabonis brings to the table, he has a more reliable perimeter game to boot, which is indispensable in todays’ game.

Given both Turner and Sabonis’ individual brilliance, perhaps no correct answer can be truly formulated. But what’s inarguable is that breaking up the big man combo is starting to look like a necessity instead of a mere option as the Pacers’ struggles start to warrant some big changes in the team’s direction. And the front office must address this quandary this offseason once and for all.