5 Team USA teammates Pacers wish they could pair with Tyrese Haliburton
By Jack Simone
5 Team USA teammates Pacers wish they could pair with Tyrese Haliburton: 4. Jaren Jackson Jr.
Despite some of the criticism that Team USA doesn’t have enough size, Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. would be an amazing player for the Indiana Pacers to pair Tyrese Haliburton with.
Jackson Jr. just wrapped up a Defensive Player of the Year campaign with the Grizzlies and made his first All-Star Game, too. His defensive prowess in the paint has led him to back-to-back seasons of leading the NBA in blocks.
Next to Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, Jackson Jr. has helped propel the Grizzlies back into relevance quicker than anyone could have imagined after the Mike Conley-Marc Gasol era.
Next to Haliburton in Indiana, Jackson Jr. would be an elite secondary scoring option, as his blend of athleticism and three-point shooting would make him a top-notch pick-n-roll and pick-n-pop threat.
The defensive one-two punch of Jackson Jr. and Myles Turner would be lethal, too, as they are two of the best shot-blockers in the league and would make life hard for opponents in the paint.
Plus, at just 23 years old, Jackson Jr. still has plenty of room to grow. He’s getting better every year, and for a Pacers squad that needs to be thinking about the future, that matters.
Hypothetical starting lineup: Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Bruce Brown, Jaren Jackson Jr., Myles Turner