Many were concerned about the Indiana Pacers' center situation heading into this season. And, after the team's preseason performance against the San Antonio Spurs, these concerns are quickly becoming a reality.
Against San Antonio, the Pacers' centers combined for three points on 0-for-10 shooting, 10 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks. They also managed to pick up 11 fouls. Furthermore, the team allowed 50 points in the paint and were outrebounded 45-40.
Following Myles Turner's shocking departure in the offseason, many knew it would be difficult for Indiana to replace him. This is why the team opted to run a committee at center instead, which has the potential to work.
Instead of committing to a one-for-one replacement for the Texas native, the Pacers are going to rely on numerous big men to make up for his absence. At the moment, they have four centers on the roster: Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, James Wiseman, and Tony Bradley. Furthermore, they are also likely to utilize players like Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker as small-ball centers.
The idea with the center-by-committee is that Indiana will ride the hot hand on a nightly basis in hopes that someone will stand out from the rest.
It's only preseason. However, so far, this concern is looking to be a real thing that could impact the Pacers' outlook for this upcoming season.
The Pacers need to get their center situation sorted
In order for the Pacers to have success this season, they need a comfortable center situation. They have a lot of time to get it figured out, but as it stands, things leave a lot to be desired.
While moving on from him could work out in the end, the Pacers have been successful in recent years because of Turner's impact. He was fantastic at stretching the floor, protecting the rim, and running the length of the court. Turner was the perfect fit in Indiana's system, and he provided value on both sides of the ball. Without him, the Pacers likely would not have been in title contention.
They don't need their answer right away, but for the Pacers to re-establish themselves as title contenders, they need solid center play on a consistent basis.
There is a lot to like about Indiana's current center situation. Jackson is incredibly athletic, Huff can space the floor, Wiseman has good size, and Bradley provides value as a rebounder and defender. However, at its core, the Pacers' center committee consists of numerous big men who are not established starters on championship-level teams. This may not bode well for the team now or in the long run.
Before the start of the regular season, the Pacers may ultimately move on from Bradley or Wiseman. This could be a good idea as it gives their center situation more clarity and consistency. However, it is still expected that things will get worse before they get better as each player adjusts to a bigger role.
Despite what many anticipate, the Pacers have shown no indication that they want to tank this season. Instead, they want to remain in the playoff picture and potentially make some noise in a wide-open Eastern Conference. However, until somebody proves they can be a viable Turner replacement, the Pacers' ceiling will be lowered.
Hopefully for the team, this performance was just an anomaly, not an expectation.