The Indiana Pacers were not going to be a contender, even with Paul George, but their young frontcourt tandem could be unique.
The Pacers didn’t get the best haul for George, and I’m not going to rehash on that misfire by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. That said, Indiana didn’t have the worst offseason in the world, either. What sticks out to me is the inherent breakout potential for third-year center Myles Turner. Him and first-round selection T.J. Leaf can turn some heads for the Pacers in a few short seasons.
Also Read: Victor Oladipo Can Finally Bloom With Indiana
Last season, Indiana got what they asked for from Turner. He put up averages of 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and shot 51.1 percent from the field. He started 81 games, where his development was on display throughout the year. The 6-11 Texas product showed he is invaluable to the Pacers success on both ends of the floor.
On the surface, that was evident. His net rating was 3.2 this past season, which was a huge jump from his rookie campaign, where he was minus-1.3. Turner looked more comfortable as he played more minutes, and he figures to be the key cog now for Indiana. His box plus/minus also increased, jumping from -2.3 to 2.4.
He had considerably more win shares per 48 minutes (.151 to .100) and a much higher value over replacement player rating (2.8 to 1.2) than Kristaps Porzingis, and I would think his arrow will keep pointing up as he enters his third year.
The most attractive part about T.J. Leaf’s game is his offensive versatility. At 6-10, he has the elusive combination of both back-to-basket post moves and new-age stretch big shooting touch from long range. His repertoire was utilized well at UCLA, where he led the Pac-12 Conference in field goal percentage in his one season playing college ball. He didn’t do that by just dunking the basketball, either.
Leaf shot 46.6 percent from three as a Bruin, and that should help open up floor spacing for slashers such as Victor Oladipo and Lance Stephenson. Leaf shouldn’t just be a spot-up guy, though. He is more than capable in the pick-and-roll, where he can knock down perimeter shots and roll hard to the rack when it’s there.
Also, Leaf can bury mid-range pull-ups over retreating bigs playing the drive (like Turner), and has a solid jab step to play off that move. He’s a mismatch who can be effective playing next to Turner at the four, or as a small-ball five who drags bigs away from the rim.
Naturally, he reminds me of ex-Bruin Kevin Love, who has transformed his body to accommodate for the “stretch big” revolution that has taken over the NBA. I don’t expect Leaf to have close to the same defensive production as Turner, but he can be an effective team defender on rotations and weak side close-outs.
Moreover, when you look at the rebounding potential, combined with the shot-blocking ability of Turner and Leaf, the Pacers should have an efficient frontcourt to build around in the coming years post-PG. As Hunter Kuffel of 8 Points, 9 Seconds illustrated, a pro’s pro in Thaddeus Young could have a fundamental role in their success too.
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