Indiana Pacers: Handing out team awards for the 2021-22 season

The Indiana Pacers only won 25 games this season, but there are still deserving players on the roster to be named some awards as their season ends.

The Pacers took in some great rookies this season both in the draft and even found some gems outside of the draft that would later sign full deals with the team.

This year feels like two seasons of Indiana basketball from the trade deadline to injuries and covid-19. The team overall wasn’t a success but there were some players that are worthy of the spotlight.

Here are our MVP, Rookie of the Year, 6th Man, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Improved Player were for the Indiana Pacers.

Indiana Pacers team awards: Chris Duarte wins Rookie of the Year

Chris Duarte was really good to start the season. In his first 7 games, he averaged 17.8 PPG and shot 42.3% from behind the arc. During that span of play, he was on top of everyone’s rookie ladder to begin the year.

It was only because of the Pacers as a team trying to decide whether to win games or go a different direction that would put Duarte in the back seat this season. Then he got injured to finish the year after the trade deadline, otherwise, I feel he would have continued to put up big numbers.

When his season was deemed over officially, he averaged 13.1 points per game, 2.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and shot 36.9% from three on 4.6 attempts.

Duarte’s rookie year was up and down, but his potential is exciting, and he remains a core piece in this Indiana rebuild.