Indiana Pacers: The ideal backup big man may already be on the roster

With Myles Turner‘s status heading to the 2022-23 season still up in the air, the Indiana Pacers have some work to do to optimize their roster before training camp begins. One area they have to brush up is in the frontcourt, where the team is quite thin at beyond their projected starters.

However, the answer may actually already be on the roster. With the remaining crop of free agents relatively forgettable at this point, the team may be better off relying on its in-house alternative to mitigate their possible bench woes at the big man position.

The Indiana Pacers may already have an answer to their backup big man hole on the roster

Daniel Theis, who arrived to the Circle City via the Malcolm Brogdon trade, has not been talked about for the most part, but the former Celtics big man could easily slot in as one of the team’s key backups next season.

Barring a trade, the incoming six-year veteran could secure the backup big man role currently occupied by Goga Bitadze. With the latter having been bereft of consistently good showings in his career, even in a rebuild, the Pacers may decide that giving the nod to Theis may benefit the team more.

Despite being undersized as a 6’8 center, Theis is a reliable defender who is mobile enough and keen on team concepts. Notably used as a utility player in Boston, the German bruiser brings toughness on the boards, efficient low-usage play, and part-time floor spacing, motifs that should eventually serve as ideal complements next to the club’s young bigs.

Even better, as the second-oldest player on the bunch, Theis could be the veteran presence that the team is in dire lack of aside from TJ McConnell. While the playoffs are not the direct goal of this group, his postseason experience could be crucial in helping Indiana get past its chronic problems in late game situations.

Hence, while Daniel Theis may not be the sexiest fit next to the foundational core of the Indiana Pacers, he should be a pretty viable supplementary piece to hold down the fort off the bench for the time being.