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Indiana Pacers: 2017-18 NBA season preview

By Adrian Lawhorn

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 08: Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers is seen during the game against the Detroit Pistons at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 8, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 08: Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers is seen during the game against the Detroit Pistons at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 8, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images /

Storyline 3: Position battles and competition for playing time

When a team rebuilds to the degree that Indiana has this offseason, there are few guarantees in terms of who will be in the starting lineup and/or how many minutes each rotation player will receive.

As training camp nears, it appears that only two of the Pacers’ starting positions are written in ink: Myles Turner at center and newly-acquired Victor Oladipo at shooting guard.

Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers /

Indiana Pacers

The other spots? They are lightly penciled in for now. Initially, Darren Collison will join Oladipo in the backcourt, while Bojan Bogdanovic and Thaddeus Young will fill out the remaining frontcourt slots.

There is competition in the form of Cory Joseph (point guard), Glenn Robinson III at small forward and power forward Domantas Sabonis. All of those positions could be in flux at any point during the season — even early on.

Joseph and Sabonis could benefit from a shift in emphasis toward developing the team’s younger talent. Once Indiana begins to fall out of playoff contention, their primary goal will be getting their young guns increased playing time.

Glenn Robinson III is a threat to Bogdanovic mainly due to Robinson’s superior defense, and then there is the case of Lance Stephenson.

Stephenson will play significant minutes, and while he will likely begin the season as the sixth man, he could challenge for a starting spot at some point as well.

With so many new players and so many jobs up for grabs, the evolution of the playing rotation will be a major storyline throughout the 2017-18 campaign.

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