The Indiana Pacers have a lot of questions regarding their center situation, but they may not get the answers they need next season.
In a shocking turn of events, Indiana's long-time big man Myles Turner left the franchise after a decade to join the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent. This move hurts the Pacers for multiple reasons, but perhaps the biggest one is that their center situation is now a major weakness with no clear way to strengthen it.
As the Pacers aim to navigate through life without Turner, it is fair to assume that they will go through their ups and downs throughout the season. They may learn a thing or two in the process, but as it stands, there are not many reasons for fans to feel great about the team's center situation.
Myles Turner left the Pacers in a bad spot
The Texas native is far from a perfect center, and it may actually be a good thing that he moved on. However, the Pacers are still going to have a difficult time replacing him.
Turner certainly has his flaws. He is not a good rebounder, he does not provide much offensive value if his shot is not falling, and his defense, while still solid, clearly regressed last season. Furthermore, re-signing him would have most likely pushed the Pacers into the luxury tax, which is not ideal for them. However, Turner's pros may outweigh the cons, and that is why his departure puts the team in a tough position.
The 29-year-old can stretch the floor, protect the rim, and run the court at high levels. Additionally, he was a fan favorite in Indiana and developed into a great center for their system. With him no longer on the roster, the Pacers now have to find a way to replace him. They may have done just that this offseason, but their solution does not look too convincing.
As it stands, Indiana will likely run a center-by-committee and rely on multiple big men to make up for Turner's absence. On paper, this could work, but the Pacers are more so just working with what they have rather than putting together a perfect plan.
Currently, the Pacers have Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, James Wiseman, and Tony Bradley all on the roster. All of these players provide intrigue for one reason or another, and in an expanded role, they could each showcase their value and prove their worth. However, the Pacers were just one win away from the NBA Finals. If they want to get back there, they will need to find a better solution.
While their outlook for next season looks pretty bleak, the Pacers still have a lot to look forward to next season. They will be able to experiment with their roster a bit, and many players will have an opportunity to step up and establish themselves as long-term contributors in Indiana as the team looks to remain competitive. This includes everyone in their center committee. However, the Pacers will still need to determine what their best option is to replace Turner for the long run, and there is a chance that what happens next season leaves them with even more questions than answers.