Which role players will be most impactful for the Indiana Pacers next season?
The Indiana Pacers have a quality starting lineup heading into the 2021-22 NBA season with proven players at all five spots. The bench, which has seen a bit of a shakeup this summer, is going to be a crucial spot for Indiana. Can the second unit carry the Pacers into the playoffs and perhaps even beyond the first round?
Depth is key in today’s NBA no matter how you want to slice it. That depth becomes even more valuable when teams lack a superstar, which the Pacers fit. Domantas Sabonis is the team’s best player as things stand and while he is a great frontcourt guy, he is not quite a superstar in the league.
Indiana needs to find enough help from the rest of the roster to form a strong enough squad this season and find success under Rick Carlisle. For the sake of argument, the five expected starters will not qualify for role players this season. They all have proven roles and will play major minutes once again.
So, which of the remaining players are going to be the crucial pieces in getting the Indiana Pacers back into the mix in the Eastern Conference? Here are the three most important players who will start the season on Indiana’s bench.