Pacers find a hidden gem menace and 2 other Summer League takeaways

Game 1 of the Indiana Pacers' 2024 Summer League run is over, and let's just say, it did not end well. After struggling a bit to start off the game, the Pacers picked up their stride and built a 15-point lead in the second half. Unfortunately, the turnovers were just too much for them to overcome, and they ended up surrendering multiple runs to Brooklyn, who eventually tied the game and won in overtime. Despite some noteworthy performances, the Pacers' first Summer League game was a loss and a brutal one at that.

Despite the loss, there was still plenty to take away from the game, both good and bad. For starters, let's talk about perhaps the most unexpected breakout player on the floor, Enrique Freeman. Freeman was selected by the Pacers with the 50th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft.

After leading Akron to only their sixth NCAA Tournament in school history, Freeman was taken by the Pacers, becoming the first Akron Zip to be selected in the NBA Draft since 1987. Prior to the first Summer League game, Freeman was projected to not make much noise right out the gate, mostly being a G League stash player who could occasionally get some minutes due to injury or in blowouts. However, that may have to change after the Brooklyn game.

While Freeman's counting stats don't jump off the screen, Freeman impressed many watching the game due to his athleticism and physicality, two traits the Pacers need going forward. As the best rebounder and defender in the Mid-American Conference, Freeman showed why he was put in such high regard by college basketball fans and the Pacers' front office.

He blocked shots with authority, grabbed rebounds, and got buckets inside en route to a solid stat line of seven points (3/4 FG), five rebounds, and two blocks in 17 minutes. While he still needs polishing, Freeman has a solid foundation on him as an athletic energy guy who can hustle up and down the floor with all the energy in the world, which is what the Pacers may need going forward.

Jarace Walker is showing he's too good for Summer League

As good as Freeman was, however, he was not the star of the show for Indiana. That honor went to Jarace Walker, the second-year forward out of Houston. After not playing much in his rookie season due to a loaded frontcourt, Walker and Rick Carlisle have decided to switch his position to small forward in order to fully tap into his skill set and get him more rotation minutes, since they are relatively weak at that position, especially compared to the depth they have at the 4 spot.

As such, Walker and the team focused more on his shot creation, playmaking, and switchability this summer, which translated beautifully to the first Summer League game. Rising to the occasion and looking like a fantastic lead man, Walker led all scorers with 23 points on an efficient 9/18 from the field with six rebounds four assists, two steals, and a block in 31 minutes of action.

To put it short, Walker looked like a man amongst boys out there. In order to play small forward, he has to increase his shot volume and get better in contact due to needing to drive more, and that is exactly what he showcased in the Summer League. The Nets defenders could not do much in the paint against Walker, who more or less got whatever he wanted around the rim, converting multiple And 1 opportunities with ease.

Walker played like he had a chip on his shoulder and was still angry about not getting playing time last season. This resulted in him playing with an aggression that Pacers fans have not seen out of him much, which showed itself in multiple emphatic blocks and powerful finishes around the rim, not to mention a few long jumpers that brought confidence that he could step out and take more threes if necessary.

Walker and Freeman were clearly the stories of the game, but what about the others? Well, Kendall Brown had himself a game, finishing with 19 points on 6/11 shooting in only 23 minutes. This is an important Summer League for Brown, who got his foot in the door last season and had a few nice flashes of brilliance. Now, entering year three, Brown is determined to keep the roster spot he has worked so hard for and played like his job was on the line, displaying plenty of the scoring skills that got him in the league in the first place and helped him stick around this long.

Ben Sheppard disappoints while Johnny Furphy shows flashes

Finally, let's talk about two other players, Johnny Furphy and Ben Sheppard. Let's start with the bad performance. Surprisingly, sophomore Ben Sheppard did not perform well at all in the first game of his second Summer League stint. Playing 31 minutes, Sheppard only scored four points on a putrid 1/7 shooting to go with two rebounds and three steals.

Seemingly a complete 180 from his promising regular season and playoff play, Sheppard looked more like a two-way player trying to hold onto a roster spot than a recent member of the rotation. However, this may have just been him trying to get back into the groove of things, and not much stock should be put into it.

As for Furphy, the same was true for his first half. Seen as one of the more promising Summer League players for Indiana, Furphy's first half was the exact opposite, as he only scored three points on 1/7 shooting and 1/5 from deep. A lot of this stemmed from him not being able to finish inside due to his thin frame and his jumper not falling, despite getting plenty of good opportunities.

However, Furphy picked it up in the second half, scoring nine points on 3/4 shooting and draining two threes while looking far more comfortable on the floor. In a scenario like Summer League, it is far more important how you finish than how you start, and Furphy finished his night off strong despite the loss. As he gets more comfortable in the league and more used to NBA contact, we may see more of those second-half flashes going forward.

Indiana's first Summer League game was a loss, and a pretty embarrassing one, but that is what Summer League is for. Perhaps the only place where it is okay to have 25 turnovers and 23 fouls, this is a learning experience, and Indiana's youngsters sure looked like they learned a lot. It will be interesting to see how everyone reflects on these games and how they return on Sunday for Game 2.