Gal Mekel Agrees To Sign With Indiana Pacers
By Evan Massey
Gal Mekel has agreed to sign with the Indiana Pacers and will help bolster their back-court.
The Indiana Pacers have agreed to sign free agent point guard Gal Mekel, according to a report from both Marc Stein of ESPN and Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. Mekel will immediately improve the Pacers’ back-court depth, and will likely step into a fairly big role as soon as he’s able to get onto the court.
ESPN sources say Indiana Pacers are in the process of signing former Dallas Mavericks guard Gal Mekel to fortify their injury-hit backcourt
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 5, 2014
Mekel didn’t get to play too much last season with the Dallas Mavericks in his rookie season, but averaged 2.4 points and 2.0 assists, while averaging 9.4 minutes in 31 regular season games. He played very well in preseason action this year, and is more than ready to have a bigger role in the regular season. Indiana desperately needs help at the point guard position, and he will fit in very nicely.
Frank Vogel likes to run a lot of pick-and-rolls in his offense, and that is exactly where Mekel succeeds. He can either be very aggressive scoring the ball, or he’s also a very solid passer. Donald Sloan is currently starting and has played well so far, but Mekel is simply a better all-around point guard and fit for the system.
It will be intriguing to see what role the Pacers give Mekel when he joins them, and how many minutes he plays. Sloan will likely remain the starter for the time being, but Mekel will have a chance to beat him out with his play off of the bench.
Needless to say, this was a needed move for the Pacers and getting a talented 26-year-old point guard is big for them. There hasn’t been much that has gone right for Indiana this year, but this move could very well be the first good step in the right direction. Mekel is a very good player, and will have a chance to showcase those skills on the court with the Pacers.