The Indiana Pacers have agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with free agent Kyle O’Quinn.
The Indiana Pacers have agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with Kyle O’Quinn, per Yahoo! Sports‘ Shams Charania. The quality of this move shows how the team is rebuilding its roster after the Paul George trade from a year ago.
The Pacers are addressing points of need, appearing to check them off one by one. The signing of Tyreke Evans addresses issues with bench scoring. The Doug McDermott signing added a knockdown 3-point shooter — albeit one with question marks on the defensive end.
After the Pacers released Al Jefferson, they needed to find a big man to come off the bench. O’Quinn has made a living for himself playing quality backup minutes in the six years he has been in the league.
Last season, O’Quinn averaged 7.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. He did this in just 18.0 minutes of playing time a night. O’Quinn also shot the ball well, hitting 58.2 percent of his field goal attempts.
O’Quinn is certainly an upgrade from both Jefferson and Trevor Booker as a bench piece. Jefferson’s age has limited his effectiveness in recent years, He was only able to average just 13.4 minutes per game last season, playing only 36 games.
Booker ended up playing 17 games for the Pacers after being released by the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 5.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game. His offensive rating of 118 was the second-highest on the New York Knicks last season. His 105 defensive rating was the best on the team.
O’Quinn is a good locker room fit. At 6’10”, O’Quinn is a hulking presence whose face is usually split with a big grin. His impact on the morale of any team is an intangible impossible to measure but easy to see.
How he will impact the Pacers
Kyle O’Quinn is an impact player. He is a specialist bench piece, which is crucial in the NBA. He can come off the bench cold and get the flow of the game at any point. O’Quinn will be backing up Miles Turner and Domantas Sabonis.
Both of these players have a tendency to foul, giving their bench plenty of time on the court. O’Quinn is a true spare parts type of big man. He can take the ball at the top of the key and drive to the hoop if given space.
However, he is also just as likely to find the man in the corner with a bullet pass, giving him the best chance at an open shot. It is easy to see plenty of passes going to a wide open Doug McDermott.
O’Quinn also rebounds the ball with energy. He will grapple with anyone in the paint, looking to make the ball his own. It is this work rate that allows him to compete for so many boards.
In a pinch, O’Quinn could start at center if Myles Turner gets hurt, but he is best-suited to the bench. Whatever happens, whenever O’Quinn hits the court, the energy level will go up.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Grade: A