The Jay Huff experiment has been an interesting one for the Indiana Pacers. They acquired him from the Memphis Grizzlies last summer after Myles Turner signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, and the results have been mixed but mostly positive.
On the year, he is averaging 8.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.9 blocks in 55 games (including 31 starts). Additionally, he leads the NBA in total blocks with 106 and is shooting 46.9% from the field and 31.5% from deep (35.3% since the turn of the calendar).
In his first year in Indiana, Huff proved that he can make threes and create matchup problems. He is also a fantastic rim protector and is tough to stop when he's hot.
Recently, Bryce Simon of the "Game Theory Podcast" said he believes the Virginia alum could be in line for a monstrous game this season, especially with Isaiah Jackson no longer on the roster and Ivica Zubac currently out due to an ankle injury.
"I think Jay Huff's going to have a game where he hits, like, seven threes, and I just think he's going to go crazy. I'm staying on my Jay Huff agenda here for the Indiana Pacers. They obviously got Isaiah Jackson no longer there. I wonder how much we see Ivica Zubac with the Pacers here post-deadline," Simon said.
"The worry is that he's only playing 20 minutes a night. Is he going to get enough minutes? But again, if there's no Isaiah Jackson, if there is no Zubac, maybe we can get a few more 30-minute nights, and he's got to get hot from three at some point. I'm not expecting multiple of these, but I think we could get a single Jay Huff 30-point game."
Before this season, Huff scored at least 20 points in a game just twice (22 and 20 points against the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively). He now has six such games on his resume, including a career-best 29 points against the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 16.
Huff can get hot in a hurry, and he's a legitimate threat from the outside. Pacers fans shouldn't be surprised if he cracks the 30-point mark once or twice before the end of the season.
Jay Huff will continue to be a real asset for the Pacers
Huff's days as a full-time starter in Indiana are coming to an end now that Zubac is on the roster, but that doesn't mean he's just going to warm the bench and just be another body. If anything, it's the exact opposite: he might be in line for his best role yet.
There's a lot to like about the North Carolina native, but he's not a starting center on a championship-caliber team. He's not consistent enough. He doesn't have a high enough ceiling. And he's too slow to really be a good fit in Indiana's system specifically.
However, in a reduced role and fewer minutes, Huff will mostly just be tasked with coming in, hitting some threes, and blocking some shots. Just the things he does best. And it will also make it much easier to hide his weaknesses when he's not going up against the Nikola Jokics and Victor Wembanyamas of the world.
Pacers fans should be excited about what Huff can bring to the table moving forward, and at this point, it wouldn't be a shock if he has one last hoorah before moving back to the bench full-time.