Indiana Pacers: What the preseason taught us about this team

Core players

Individually, there were some interesting things to come out of the 2017 preseason.

Victor Oladipo played well, showing off his athleticism and ability to push the ball up the floor. He also shot 50 percent from 3-point range; improved shooting will be a key for Oladipo during his first season in Indiana.

Myles Turner didn’t have a great preseason — his 3-point shooting (16.7 percent) and rebounding (4.0 per game) were subpar. However, he appears to be ready to step into a lead role on this team and his numbers should be there once the season starts.

Lance Stephenson continues to give the Pacers a spark, much as he did when he re-signed with the club at the end of last season. His attitude, dynamic play and all-around skills (13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in the preseason) are going to be vital to any success this team has.

Power forward Thaddeus Young had a solid preseason, and he performed particularly well on the boards (8.7 rebounds per contest). The team needs to see this trend continue as we enter the regular season.

Darren Collison was extremely efficient and effective running the offense, limiting turnovers and scoring the ball well (61.9 percent shooting overall, 60 percent from deep).

Bojan Bogdanovic shot poorly, posting anemic percentages from behind the arc (13.3 percent) and overall (34.8 percent). However, he did show a good feel for the game and excelled as a facilitator, posting 2.7 assists per night while turning the ball over only once during his three preseason appearances.