Despite not having Victor Oladipo for most of the season, the Indiana Pacers were quite successful. Here are five roster moves they need to make.
The Indiana Pacers were a team on a mission last season. They were without Victor Oladipo for all but 19 games and yet still managed to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference. They were then swept in the first round by the surprising Miami Heat.
This appears to be what cost Nate McMillan his job, as the Pacers replaced him with Nate Bjorkgren. It is a little surprising that a head coach with a 45-28 record lost his job because his team did not respond as well as others in a situation that was abnormal.
McMillan was in charge of a team that was without two key players in the bubble. Domantas Sabonis, the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer missed the entire NBA restart, including the playoffs. Jeremy Lamb also missed the restart due to injury.
The Indiana Pacers are set up to make a good run again next year.
The Pacers have most of their key talent locked up for between two and four seasons. This will hopefully allow them to develop the chemistry required to compete for a championship. Sabonis was signed to a four-year, $77 million deal prior to the 2019-20 season.
Key playmaker Malcolm Brogdon and center Myles Turner have three years left on their deals. T.J. Warren and Lamb have two years left on theirs. It is very rare that a team is not looking to lock up at least one piece of their core over an offseason.
However, new coach Nate Bjorkgren will have a group that has played some good basketball together. This chemistry will help with the new systems he will be looking to implement.
The Pacers only have pick No. 54 in the upcoming NBA draft. With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at the five roster moves they need to make.