When the Indiana Pacers decided to run a center-by-committee after Myles Turner joined the Milwaukee Bucks, this was widely considered the right move. And justifiably so.
Despite his flaws and horrific NBA Finals performance last season, Turner was a great center for the Pacers for a long time. He was a fan favorite who was also an exceptional fit in Indiana's system. The Texas native could shoot and stretch the floor while also providing defensive value and being a great rim protector. He was a two-time blocks leader with the Pacers and even averaged 2 blocks per game last season, despite the notable signs of regression on defense.
Replacing someone like him wasn't going to be easy, especially given the lack of serious options Indiana had in the offseason. This is why the Pacers made the decision to utilize multiple players at center, which was something head coach Rick Carlisle had experience working with during his time with the Dallas Mavericks.
Instead of committing to a single one-for-one replacement for their former center, the team chose to have a rotation of multiple players who could potentially replace his value as a collective unit.
So far, this hasn't been the case at all. And it's becoming a big problem.
The Pacers' center situation is even worse than many anticipated
In October, Carlisle pinpointed the exact appeal of a center-by-committee and why it can work for Indiana this season (h/t Steve Aschburner of NBA.com).
"It’s going to have to be a strength-in-numbers thing somehow. We had four centers come to training camp. Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman are both back from injuries last year. Tony Bradley is back. And we traded for Jay Huff. All of these guys bring a unique element to the mix," Carlisle said about the Pacers' center situation.
"I’ve had seasons where I’ve played three centers consistently. In 2013-14 [in Dallas] we had Sam Dalembert, DeJuan Blair and Brandan Wright, and all three of them played just about every game during the season."
It's worked for Carlisle before, but it's not working for him now.
The Pacers already cut ties with James Wiseman, who was a DNP in two of his three games with the team this season. Isaiah Jackson is almost averaging as many fouls as points through four games this season (3.5 FPG to 3.8 PPG). Jay Huff, who was essentially looked at as a Temu version of Turner, if you will, hasn't looked very good and is just 3-for-12 from beyond the arc to begin the season.
Tony Bradley's been decent, though, averaging 6.3 points and 3.3 rebounds on 75% shooting in 13.8 minutes. Plus, he is making a solid impact as a paint presence on defense and essentially made Wiseman expendable in the early parts of the season.
The problem is, however, that a decent Bradley season still probably wouldn't even make the second or third-best center on a team that doesn't have the issues the Pacers currently have.
A center-by-committee works if at least one player steps up here and there. But when none of them do, that's just a recipe for disaster.
Losing Turner alone may not be a long-term problem, but not being able to find a replacement for him would be. The Pacers have a ton of time before they realistically get back into the title picture, but until then, their center situation will be worth monitoring.
If they can't get it together, their potential will continue to be tapped, and another NBA Finals appearance may become too tall a task to accomplish.