Indiana Pacers: 3 bright spots from the Summer League so far

The Indiana Pacers are off to a bit of a rough start in the Summer League but a few players have shined in their brief experience.

The 2021 NBA Summer League has not been super kind to the Indiana Pacers thus far as they dropped their first two games of the tournament. Their opening game was postponed after a COVID issue with the Wizards and the Pacers lost their first two competitions, one to the Knicks and Hawks.

Records in Las Vegas do not mean much as we all should be aware. Sure, seeing the young guys gel and get some wins would always be a nice treat but the main focus of the event is to let them see the floor and get competition against the best young talent in the game.

Given that only a few players will even make the final roster, we should not invest too much concern into whether or not they can work together as a unit. The only pairings we should really care about are the guys who will make the team.

The shortlist of important players consists of Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson, and Oshae Brissett. Without giving a spoiler, one other youngster that traveled to Vegas has a chance to make the roster but that’s for later.

Which current Pacers attending the Summer League have been a fresh breath of air so far in the tournament.

Chris Duarte looks great for the Indiana Pacers

When the Indiana Pacers selected Chris Duarte with the 13th overall pick, there was some concern about his upside. Admittedly, I am part of the group that was not a fan of the pick – and I am not going to change my stance simply after two exhibition games. Still, Duarte has been a fun watch so far, and it’s clear why he was so highly touted in the draft.

Duarte was praised for his ability to hit tough shots and he has delivered exactly that. He has shown plenty of confidence in pulling up from deep and knocking down ridiculous shots over defenders.

Indiana needs an extra contributor off the bench to replace the output from Doug McDermott who left for San Antonio. With a key roster spot open, Duarte has a clear opportunity to take the job and run with it.

Better yet, Duarte has shown promise on the defensive end, which was expected when he took the floor. Adding a strong perimeter defender to the mix after the disaster that was last season is exactly what Indiana needed, so that’s where the selection of Duarte makes sense.

With high expectations entering his rookie season, Chris Duarte has shown glimpses of why the Pacers were so excited about him in the draft.

The Indiana Pacers may have something in Isaiah Jackson

Isaiah Jackson was selected with the 22nd overall pick and sent to the Pacers in exchange for Aaron Holiday and some second-round picks. Jackson, who many projected to be the fourth center on the roster, has shown enough to make me wonder if he can be the backup four and eventually starter if the Pacers switch things up in the frontcourt.

Throughout the Summer League so far, Jackson has flashed athleticism and explosiveness near the rim with several dunks and big rebounds. In Indiana’s second game, Jackson recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds in just 17 minutes.

He has also been solid as a rim protector and roll man in the Pick n’ Roll, which has been lacking for the Pacers. As good as Domantas Sabonis is as the offensive hub, he lacks the explosiveness to get to and above the rim that Jackson possesses.

There is no reason to believe Jackson is ready to start or be a high-minutes player for Indiana right now, especially given the current frontcourt situation, but his future with the team looks very bright. If he can continue his strong start to the Summer League, he has a chance to earn playing time in his rookie season.

Another rookie has a chance to steal a roster spot and playing time this season, even as an undrafted free agent.

Duane Washington Jr. is coming for a roster spot with the Indiana Pacers

The original plan was probably for Cassius Stanley to earn the final roster spot again this season as a two-way player. Instead, Ohio State’s Duane Washington has other plans. Washington was an undrafted free agent who made some noise in his Summer League debut.

Against the Knicks, Washington poured in 23 points in 21 minutes while shooting 8-of-9 from the field and 5-of-5 from three. While he did struggle in his second game (just 4 points on 1-of-6 shooting), there was enough in the opener to make folks think twice about Cassius Stanley.

Stanley was the frontrunner to take the final spot in the backcourt next season even after his rough rookie season. After another slow start to this summer, Stanley is very much in danger of losing his spot. He scored just 2 points in 11 minutes in Game 1 but bounced back with 14 points in Game 2 while knocking down a pair of threes.

The battle between Stanley and Washington will certainly be one to watch throughout the rest of the offseason but Washington’s ability to score from range should be very valuable. Indiana needs to add more scoring to the bench and although Washington should not be expected to come in and play any meaningful minutes, having him on the end of the bench to develop into that kind of role is worth a shot.

The rest of the Summer League will be fun to watch as these guys continue to push each other for a roster spot.