Jay Huff's start to his Indiana Pacers career has been a massive disappointment so far.
Brought in from the Memphis Grizzlies in the offseason, Huff was expected to help the Pacers replace Myles Turner, who joined the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency. The Virginia alum has shown flashes of being a good rim protector and a great stretch big. Last season, he shot 40.5% from deep on 3.1 attempts per game. Given how important spacing is to Indiana's system, there were reasons for fans to be excited about Huff's arrival.
However, nearly a month into the season, Huff is leaving a lot to be desired on the court in every area of the game. And unless he turns things around soon, he is going to face an unfortunate reality for his long-term outlook in the NBA.
Jay Huff might never be a regular NBA-level contributor
In 14 games with the Pacers, including two starts, Huff is averaging 5.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and a team-leading 1.8 blocks. Additionally, he is shooting 37.5% from the field and 26.5% from beyond the arc.
Some of what the North Carolina native is doing is exactly as advertised. He is protecting the rim and blocking shots at a good rate, and he is spacing the floor. However, that's pretty much where it ends for Huff's positives in Indiana.
He is severely struggling to knock down shots, which was basically the biggest appeal of his arrival in Indiana. Additionally, he is not a good rebounder, and outside of protecting the rim, he is not doing much defensively. He looks very slow, both literally and in terms of not making quick enough decisions, particularly regarding switching and defensive rotations.
Huff has three games so far where he has logged single-digit minutes. This includes Indiana's loss against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 17, when he recorded just eight minutes and was a -4 on the court.
He is losing minutes in a center-by-committee where nobody is playing particularly great. This is how bad things have been for Huff with the Pacers so far.
There is still a lot of time for him to figure it out, but the clock may be ticking. The 27-year-old is on his fifth team in as many seasons for a reason. And he has struggled to stick with one team for a reason. He can have moments where he looks good, but it's incredibly difficult for any team to rely on him on a nightly basis to contribute in big minutes.
The idea of Huff is better than the reality of him. And the fact that the Pacers, a team known to get the most out of their players, are struggling to get him to maximize his full potential says a lot.
If Huff can't perform well in Indiana, then he may not be able to perform well anywhere. Given that he is a 7-foot-1 big man who can shoot and move, he may always be able to land some type of job with some organization. But if he can't step up with this team in this situation, then he may never be able to solidify himself as a legitimate contributor in the NBA for any team.