Indiana Pacers: 5 free agents to avoid in the offseason

Not-so-stretchy Nicolo Melli doesn’t fill a need for the Indiana Pacers

European bigs in the NBA are typically known for their ability to put the ball on the floor while being great outside shooters. That’s the sole reason why Nicolo Melli found himself in the league in 2019 despite being 29 years old, an age that is usually not a starting point for players in the association.

The Italian stretch big, however, has not been so stretchy in reality. He’s only canning 31.6 percent of his triples in two seasons and he doesn’t really add much to the table. He’s not a solid rebounder either, registering a below-average 2.9 boards per game in his career. Alas, Dallas Mavericks fans were puzzled when Rick Carlisle played him a lot in certain portions of the season.

Two things that the Indiana Pacers need is shooting and rebounding, two chronic issues that have plagued the team for so long. Despite what his milieu suggests, Melli will not be the answer to fill those holes, even if signing him will not be difficult at all.