Indiana Pacers: Updated look at the depth chart after free agency

Indiana Pacers depth chart at the center position

Starter: Myles Turner

The widely expected Turbonis breakup is still yet to transpire, and given all the indications, it may not happen at all, at least until the trade deadline. As a result, Myles Turner will continue to primarily man the center position, which is no surprise given his tremendous and unique niche as a three-and-D rim protector.

While there has been noise about Rick Carlisle’s openness to utilize him in a Ginobilian bench role (subscription required), building on the three-year-long tradition of staggering him and Sabonis on the court makes more sense. Still, while Turner is a standout at his role, a tad more assertiveness on offense will go a long way towards making the team’s scoring attack less predictable.

Primary Backup: Goga Bitadze

While the start to his NBA career has been quite shaky, Bitadze still possesses enough intrigue to expect a bigger role for him in year three. His unique mix of perimeter offense, post passing and rim protection will be highly valued by Rick Carlisle, who loves versatile big men to shake the offense up tactically.

Secondary Backup: Isaiah Jackson

Indiana’s acquisition on draft night, Isaiah Jackson, will likely ride the bench in his rookie year. However, the Pacers can afford to be patient with him given their abundance of frontcourt options. Watch out for his shot blocking prowess and finishing coming along in spurts next season, though.