Following the eventful hiring of Rick Carlisle, the Indiana Pacers managed to cross out a pivotal entry on their summer checklist. Clearly on the win-now train, the front office still has a lot of work to do, especially with improving the roster.
While the cupboard is not at all bare when it comes to the key guys composing the Blue and Gold, installing new pieces to bolster the second unit will do wonders for the Pacers, which may be a necessity considering Indiana’s failure to deploy a healthy lineup since who knows when.
Rick Carlisle may draw from familiar faces to improve the Indiana Pacers bench
Big-name hunting won’t be a viable resort to take in the offseason. Since the Pacers are hard-capped anyway, and the free agency class is not enough for the team to amply move the needle, the point of emphasis in the market will be finding role players who can fit in Rick Carlisle’s vision.
While fitting in won’t be a major problem for Rick Carlisle, who already had two prior stints with the franchise, an ounce of familiarity on his part from his long layoff from Indy will be welcome. Hence, here are five former players that he’s coached who can give the creative coach added flexibility and utility in the second unit.
Josh Richardson’s two-way prowess patches up some holes on the Indiana Pacers bench
Dallas’ Josh Richardson has been one of the better wing defenders in the past five seasons. In prior stints with Miami and Philadelphia, the 6’5 swingman flourished in a complimentary role as a spot-up shooter, perimeter stopper and secondary playmaker, albeit with mixed results.
Ideally, Richardson can come in and play significant minutes as one of the team’s primary bench players. While his shaky spot-up shooting divulges an asterisk, his steady defense and overlooked ability as a playmaker should be a pleasant addition to a bench unit lacking a true one-on-one option aside from the oft-injured Jeremy Lamb.
However, acquiring him may be tricky, especially with him holding a player option worth roughly 10.5 million, which is a tad lower than what he can get in free agency. However, a sign-and-trade with McDermott or a straight-up trade with Lamb and a second-rounder as a sweetener may entice Dallas, assuming he opts in.
The Indiana Pacers add vertical spacing with lob threat Willie Cauley-Stein
Why do the Indiana Pacers need another big, you say? It’s because Rick Carlisle loves to have flexibility with his big men. Willie Cauley-Stein‘s athleticism and threat as a reliable finisher should bring a new dimension to the team’s big man rotation.
The springy seven footer played more consistent minutes in the previous season with Rick Carlisle and the Mavericks, alternating between starter and bench duty, though his niche remained the same. As one of the team’s designated lob threats and hard rollers, along with Dwight Powell, Cauley-Stein registered a career-high 63.2 field goal percentage.
Adding him would be more viable if ever the front office breaks the Turbonis duo apart, but even as thing currently stand, he can give Carlisle an added layer of protection against injuries, while providing the team with some vertical spacing not present in any of the team’s big men.
Courtney Lee adds some utility and veteran leadership to the Indiana Pacers
I’ve written in a recent piece about some veterans that the Indiana Pacers should pursue to boost the locker room. However, if those options prove to be more lucrative than anticipated, then signing Courtney Lee, who shouldn’t cost more than the minimum, will be a serviceable under-the-radar addition.
Despite missing the entire season after being waived before the season due to a calf injury, the 12-year veteran has made it clear that he’s not retired, as per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. While he projects to be more of a locker room guy, he can still play in spurts when the team needs a defensive stop or some marginal three-point shooting if injuries arise.
At this juncture, Lee’s prime contribution will be on the locker room and not on the court, which is perfectly fine, especially after the team struggled with uncharacteristic internal issues last season and the roster’s lack of a vocal veteran voice.
Rick Carlisle may want to have Boban Marjanovic’s situational usefulness back for the Indiana Pacers
If Willie Cauley-Stein opts for greener pastures where he can get more minutes, then filling in the third-stringer big man role with Boban Marjanovic can arm Coach Carlisle with one of his favorite situational players to utilize in games and a positive spirit to boost the morale of the locker room.
The 7’4 behemoth, despite going in and out of the rotation, never balks at his role. In the previous two seasons, Rick Carlisle deployed the Serbian center, albeit in short spurts, to instantly change the pace of the game. He is quite effective against plodding centers and post-up threats who aren’t speedy enough to upend him while he uses his size and deft post touch to discourage help defenders from coming over to contest rim runners.
It’s clear that Boban will never play north of even 25 minutes in a normal NBA game. However, given his physical gifts, the six-year player can still be a great resort for the team for tactical purposes. Also, he should be a great mentor for the young Goga Bitadze.
Former Indiana Pacers wing Wesley Matthews brings experience and on and off-court intangibles
Not only has Wesley Matthews played for Rick Carlisle in Dallas, but it should be noted that the veteran wing also played briefly for the Indiana Pacers in the 2018-19 season. While his decline has gone on a steep trajectory, he can still play at a high level as a 3-and-D bench piece and provide a stabilizing veteran voice on the team.
As a bench player for the Los Angeles Lakers in the recently-concluded campaign, the 12-year veteran tallied career-lows across the board, including a paltry 33.5 percent clip on triples. His defense is still as active and physical as advertised, but his three-point stroke has gotten to a point where defenders are comfortable with him sapping shots from better scorers.
However, all of those may have been a result of the Lakers’ general mediocrity on offense this season. At his best, he can still defend at an above average rate and hit enough open triples to punish defenders while fortifying a Pacers locker room lacking true veteran leadership.