Roster Matchup 2k21: Comparing the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat
How do the Indiana Pacers’ starting five measure up to the Miami Heat’s
Point Guard: Malcolm Brogdon vs Kyle Lowry
On paper, both floor generals average similar numbers. Brogdon last season registered 21.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game whereas Lowry tallied 17.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists per outing. Brogdon functions more as a scoring point guard who can also thrive without the ball. In comparison, Lowry is a seasoned All-Star who can score in bunches, but is more dangerous as a playmaker at this point in his career. Both are reliable defenders, though one is more heady and lengthy while the other relies on his physicality to stop opposing guards.
Shooting Guard: Caris LeVert vs Duncan Robinson
If we’re going by sheer numbers alone, then LeVert has a clear edge. However, Robinson is elite in his role as a designated volume three-point shooter. Still, there’s more credence going with the player with the higher upside on both ends of the floor. LeVert is not the most efficient scorer, especially from downtown unlike Robinson, but he is easily the better defender, shot creator and playmaker of the two and he can exploit the lanky marksman in one-on-one situations.
Small Forward: TJ Warren vs Jimmy Butler
Perhaps the most popular matchup in this comparison for fans, the Warren-Butler contest is smoke-filled. However, it’s not that difficult to handpick the one with the edge here. While Warren is the better scorer of the two, Butler, a perennial All-Star is one of the league’s best individual defenders and playmakers from the forward position. If we’re talking about intangibles, he’s a sensational leader too who can singlehandedly change the tides of the game.
Power Forward: Domantas Sabonis vs PJ Tucker
This one is pretty jarring, though the difference between the two shouldn’t be solely judged in quantitative terms. Tucker is an elite role player whose meager stats are irreflective of his tremendous impact on defense, as shown in his title run last season with Milwaukee. However, it’s hard not to give the merits to Sabonis, a two-time All-Star whose defensive shortcomings are overshadowed by his tremendous offensive profile. He’s perhaps the second-best passing big and one of the best post scorers in the league.
Center: Myles Turner vs Bam Adebayo
While both Turner and Adebayo rank as one of the most intimidating rim deterrents in the league, they are equally dissimilar role-wise, especially on offense. Turner effectively functions as a three-and-D big for Indiana, but Adebayo’s status as one of the main fulcrums of Miami with his solid playmaking on the post and improved scoring inside the arc gives him the definitive advantage in this big man matchup.