Without Tyrese Haliburton or Myles Turner this season, the Indiana Pacers' lack of three-point shooting could prove to be a major problem for them, especially because there is no obvious solution.
In a recent appearance on "The Zach Lowe Show," The Athletic's John Hollinger pointed out Indiana's lack of shooting and also mentioned that its spacing will also be a major problem without Turner after he departed for the Milwaukee Bucks.
"I think the thing people aren't talking enough about is the lack of shooting without Haliburton and Turner. Nembhard, what did he shoot, 29[% from three] last year? ... McConnell, never shoots threes, of course. Mathurin, really good downhill scorer, but from long range, he's kind of been average at best. And then they have no spacing from the center position... Jay Huff is the one guy who could give them some of that," Hollinger said.
Under head coach Rick Carlisle's system, three-point shooting volume is not incredibly important (the Pacers' 35.8 3FG attempts per game last season ranked as the 10th-fewest in the league), but being able to space the floor and get shots up from anywhere on the court is.
The Pacers rely heavily on pushing the tempo, moving the ball around often, and spacing. Having legitimate three-point shooters helps them keep opponents on their toes and allows the system to work its magic.
Without Haliburton (who shot 38.8% from beyond the arc last season) and Turner (who shot 39.6%), the Pacers will be without two of their top perimeter threats, and that may not bode well for them as they look to remain competitive this season.
The Pacers' offense will look much less dangerous this season
What makes Haliburton so special is his elite playmaking and passing abilities. He always knows how to set his teammates up for success, and because of his elite efficiency (9.2 assists to 1.6 turnovers last season), this makes it incredibly difficult for Indiana's opponents to properly defend him and the team. It also helps that he is a fantastic three-point shooter with great range.
Without the Wisconsin native, the Pacers are going to lose some elite three-point shooting, but it only becomes worse given that Turner is also not going to be with the team.
Turner has established himself as one of the best stretch bigs in the NBA because of his shooting abilities, and he was a perfect fit in Indiana's system because of this. Not only could he knock shots down at a high rate, but his presence alone helped the Pacers stretch the floor, which is a crucial part of their system.
Losing just one of these players would have been tough for the Pacers to overcome, but being without both of them makes the task of making up for their absence nearly impossible.
There are still some solid three-point shooters on the Pacers, such as Aaron Nesmith (who shot a career-high 43.1% from behind the line last season) and even Pascal Siakam, who continues to improve as a three-point shooter. However, it still likely will not be enough for the team, and it may cause opposing defenses to force them to shoot. And, given their current situation, this might be the right move for them, and it will most likely make the Pacers much less dangerous on the offensive side of the ball.
Also, like Hollinger mentioned, the Pacers may have poor spacing at the center position. The only center they currently have rostered who can provide value here is Jay Huff, but it still remains to be seen exactly what he can do in an expanded role.
Where do the Pacers go from here?
The Pacers will eventually get their star guard back, and it is fair to assume that they will find their Turner replacement soon enough. However, until then, their lack of three-point shooting will be a big problem, and the only potential fix is through development, not trades, though, as they would likely need to sacrifice defense, depth, etc. to make it happen.
Indiana is still a very young team, and it has seen a few players make jumps as a three-point shooting threat. With numerous players expected to take on bigger roles this season, the Pacers will hope that guys like Jarace Walker, Johnny Furphy, and Ben Sheppard (who is already a decent 3-and-D player) can add more value in this area.
The Pacers have a major three-point problem on their hands, and unfortunately for them, it may take a long time to get it fixed.