TJ Warren‘s season-long injury last season was the first domino to fall for the Indiana Pacers in their disappointing campaign. Coming off a breakout season in 2019-20, he was sorely missed by the Blue and Gold, which ultimately failed to fill his scoring and defensive void from the forward position.
The 27-year-old’s ascent as one of the leaders of an up-and-coming Indiana team in the 2019-20 NBA season gave the franchise another steady foundation to build on. However, after turning a lot of heads with his sensational play in the Orlando Bubble, the 6’8 forward failed to live up to his billing in the following campaign after a foot injury limited him to just four games last season.
TJ Warren is projected to be back and healthy for the Indiana Pacers next season
As the Pacers stumbled, it’s easy to flick the team away from the East’s competitive table. However, Warren’s return, alongside a better coaching staff, some new additions and the return of an actual homecourt advantage, should all swing the tide better for Indiana next season. Who knows, maybe the team could turn out to be one of the biggest surprises in the following year.
Sitting atop the bucket list for the Pacers’ wishful improvement next season, however, is the scoring forward’s comeback. TJ Warren is one of the league’s better frontcourt players, but there is always room for improvement. Thus, here are four goals for him in the 2020-21 NBA season.