Indiana Pacers Roster 2020 Pacers Roster

2019-2020 Top Indiana Pacers Roster Questions

Do They Have Enough Firepower to Compete with the Top Teams in the East?

The Pacers are a pretty deep, well coached team that will likely win 50 plus games if healthy. However, there are valid concerns that they might just not have enough firepower to measure up to teams like the Bucks, Sixers, or even the Celtics. While they do have a star in Oladipo, he probably wouldn’t be the best player if the Pacers faced the Bucks and Sixers. The Pacers as they are would definitely be a tough out but its hard to see them beating even one of those teams in a seven game series. If they want to be true contenders in the East, they’ll need another star by Oladipo’s side. Given their cap situation, the second star would have to come from within. Perhaps Brogdon becomes one in a bigger role, or maybe one of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner can develop into one. The point is, unless one other player on their team takes a big leap forward, the Pacers ceiling is capped out as a lucky conference finals participant.

Are Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner Compatible in the Long Run?

Both Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner have proven to be exciting young big man to keep an eye on. Sabonis was a finalist for the sixth man of the year while Turner led the league in blocks. The question the Pacers need to decide on is if they should keep them both. Myles Turner is locked up long term but Sabonis is due for restricted free agency soon. While they both looked solid playing together in the regular season, the same can’t be said about the playoffs. Although it was a relatively small sample size, the Pacers still had a minus net rating of -28.6 in the minutes Sabonis and Turner played together. It’s possible things would’ve better had Oladipo been healthy, but it’s something the Pacers should be concerned about nonetheless. The Pacers will probably see how things unfold with the new lineups but one thing is clear, both bigs are starter caliber players. They might be able to get away with staggering them now, but both will likely want to finish games in the future. If the pairing proves incompatible long term, the Pacers must decide which of the two they want to keep.

Can Victor Oladipo be the Main Star on a Championship Level Team?

One thing the Pacers need to assess is if Victor Oladipo is good enough to be the featured option on a contending team. Never mind the surrounding pieces, the Pacers need to know if their cornerstone can be the superstar going forward. We know he’s good enough to lead a team to around 50 wins but leading a team to a championship is another story. The Pacers are a really good team that should at the very least make it to the second round, but they have limited options to improve their team going forward. Any improvements they undergo will likely have to come internally, as they’re pretty cash strapped right now. This will be even more true if Sabonis and Oladipo get extensions in the near future. If the Pacers want to compete for a championship, they need to know if Oladipo is the guy that can take them there. If not, they need to have a plan to find somebody that can or be prepared to enter a rebuild.