3. Evans replaces Lance Stephenson
The Pacers drew criticism from none other than Paul George himself when the franchise declined Lance Stephenson’s $4.3 million contract option for next season.
It wasn’t that the Pacers didn’t want to bring back Stephenson; apparently they just wanted to try to do it for a lower price tag. Stephenson, however, agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Born Ready’s value to Indiana went beyond his stats. On paper he was the backup shooting guard, but Stephenson was a versatile weapon who could do everything from run the offense as a point guard to defend bigger forwards like LeBron and Kevin Durant.
Stephenson had his flaws, but he was also a spark of energy that could be infectious among teammates and get the Indiana crowd going.
Evans is not nearly the level of defender that Stephenson is, but he is a more sophisticated offensive player. He can also play up to three positions. Evans will bring a different kind of energy and provide a different kind of spark compared to Stephenson, but he can rouse the crowd and impact the team in his own way.