Indiana Pacer fans have known for months who they will see in the team’s new-look starting lineup when the 2026-27 season gets underway. Myles Turner, the starting center for the team’s run to the 2025 NBA Finals, is out. Gone via free agency soon after those NBA Finals. Ivica Zubac is in. Arrived via well-documented trade in the early months of 2026. Tyrese Haliburton will be back from injury.
Here’s what Pacer fans don’t know: What will the new-look starting lineup’s style of play actually look like?
Turner and Zubac are both listed as centers, but the similarities end there. Even with their point guard and floor leader back, Indiana won’t be able to replicate the same style of play that propelled the franchise to the 2025 NBA Finals and handed the newly crowned NBA champion New York Knicks back-to-back postseason eliminations.
Ivica Zubac can't shoot like Myles Turner
A quick glance at the shot charts for Turner and Zubac shows that a change in approach will be needed. Turner was a stretch big man who actually shot more threes than twos during his final season in Indiana. Zubac is a more traditional big man who has made just one 3-pointer in his entire NBA career.
Zubac presumably won’t be roaming around the perimeter as Turner did, so Indiana presumably won’t have the same “pace and space” approach as the 2025 team. On the other hand, Haliburton and Zubac should be wildly effective in two-man pairings, which should make the Pacers better when the pace slows.
The key is Pascal Siakam, the natural candidate to play more outside the paint to make space for Zubac. Indiana needs Siakam to maintain his level of performance in the adjusted role.
Zubac’s career per-shot metrics are slightly better than Turner’s. If the Pacers can integrate Zubac into a system that doesn’t diminish the strengths of others, then Indiana’s offense could be even more efficient – a scary thought for Eastern Conference opponents.
Pacers defense also affected
Indiana’s defensive approach also will have to change. Turner was the better shot blocker and could cover a greater variety of players. Zubac is the superior rebounder and won’t be outmuscled down low.
The best-case scenario is something like this: Indiana’s defense hasn’t been great in the Haliburton era, so it really shouldn’t get any worse. The Pacers were successful over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons despite lousy rebounding metrics, so anything lost by Turner’s departure in shot-blocking and perimeter coverage will be offset by Zubac’s rebounding.
Finally, Indiana shouldn’t have to worry about being physically overpowered with Zubac and Siakam anchoring things down low.
It will all look different, but it might be better with Ivica Zubac as Tyrese Haliburton's new starting center.
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