Instead of focusing on the dreads of the upcoming season, the Indiana Pacers need to just relax and enjoy the wild ride that’s coming their way. Their roster is shaping up to be a dangerous unit on offense and a huge question mark on defense. If that’s the case, why not just go out and have as much fun as they can while setting the league on fire?
This would not be very typical for the Pacers, nor should we expect that to be in the plans, but it would make for an exciting 82 games. With so many scoring threats and some freakish athletes in the frontcourt, my only request for this season is for the Pacers to play a fun brand of basketball.
How can the Indiana Pacers become must-watch television?
Aside from the die-hard fans, there seems to be a lot less desire to watch the Pacers every night. While a large part of that is due to their continued lack of success, the team is still very talented on paper. They have the makeup to be a threat in the Eastern Conference that can challenge someone in the playoffs.
Even if they do not win a series in the postseason, Indiana should at least win a game or two and take a higher seed to the wire. The Pacers are not a perfect team and their history of injuries and misfortune will make it difficult for a lot of fans to buy into this season, myself included. Still, they can lure me back in with a new approach.
The defense was a mess last season but that did not knock the Pacers down to the bottom of the East. They still came within a game of the playoffs without Myles Turner on the floor and a hobbled Malcolm Brogdon leading the way. If they clean up the defense just a little bit, the Pacers will be fine.
My goal is simple: win as many games as possible while fielding the most exciting team they can. Go for the splash plays and the high scores, so long as the team stays within striking distance of the playoffs.
Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis both started off last season on fire and Brogdon nearly earned an All-Star appearance while Sabonis notched his second such appearance. The only problem with those two as All-Stars is that neither guy is flashy enough to gain the attention of the national media and fans.
That’s why the Pacers should fully trust T.J. Warren and Caris LeVert this season. When they are hot, let them keep taking shots and go for a big night. Warren and LeVert have both gone for over 50 points in a game in their careers and I say both should go for that mark again this season.
Let Sabonis and Brogdon do their thing, don’t get me wrong, but the offense should run through their perimeter scorers. Warren is hitting over 40 percent of his three-point attempts since 2018 and could be a deadly scorer if he keeps that pace. LeVert, who averaged 25.9 points over the final 10 games last season, is not afraid to attack either.
To balance out the high-scoring duo on the perimeter, Myles Turner will be asked to once again lead the league in blocked shots. I want to see Turner go all out and set records as a rim protector next season. He recorded a block in 46 of his 47 appearances last season with his only shutout coming in his final game of the season.
Turner should simply try to pick up as many blocks as he can without the concern of fouling out. With Sabonis, Bitadze, and rookie Isaiah Jackson capable of getting minutes, Turner does not need to worry much about hurting the team. Let’s try to set single-game and single-season records, shall we?
Obviously, this is all a bit of a stretch but the Pacers have the resources to be a very fun team if they can stay healthy. This season should offer a new direction for the Pacers.