Pacers’ misguided trust in former first-round pick is baffling

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Pacers’ misguided trust in former first-round pick is baffling

The Pacers are boldly putting a lot of trust in Isaiah Jackson.

By

Elie Deglaoui

|

34 minutes ago

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle.

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

After Myles Turner signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Indiana Pacers are expected to run a center-by-committee with Isaiah Jackson likely leading the way, assuming he re-signs as a restricted free agent. However, while Jackson knows Indiana’s system and has played well for the team in the past, he is coming off an Achilles injury and might not be much of a solution to their center problems.

Jackson appeared in five games last season before suffering an Achilles injury. In those games, he averaged 7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1.6 blocks in 16.8 minutes. It is a small sample size, but the Michigan natiive looked solid for the team last season as he was preparing for his biggest role yet.

There is a lot to like about Jackson, especially as he is only 23 years old and has had big moments with the team. However, he has only started 31 games throughout his NBA career and has never had much of an expanded role. Putting so much faith in him could backfire for the Pacers as they try to navigate this post-Turner era.

As it stands, it looks like the Pacers will rely on multiple options to replace their long-time big man. In addition to Jackson, this includes James Wiseman, Jay Huff, and Tony Bradley. It seems unlikely the team will roll into the season with all four on the roster, so training camp and the preseason will be a big opportunity for all of them to fight for a spot.