Pacers 2019-20 Depth Chart Preview
In preparation for the upcoming 2019-20 NBA season, I am going to break down each position for the Pacers, looking at depth, skill and dependability at all five spots in the lineup. In today’s article I will start to analyze Indiana’s big men by focusing on the Pacers’ power forwards.
Power Forward: Domantas Sabonis, T.J. Leaf, Alize Johnson
Domantas Sabonis has finally broken into the Pacers starting rotation in his third season in Indiana, but he will have to make the transition from center to power forward this season in order to do so. This transition shouldn’t be too tough for Sabonis, as he spent a majority of his rookie season with the Oklahoma City Thunder playing the 4 alongside Steven Adams.
Sabonis dominated opposing second units off the bench last season for the Pacers, scoring 14.1 points on and grabbing 9.3 rebounds per game while knocking down 59.0% of his shots, all of which were career highs for the fourth-year big man. One question he will have to answer this season is whether he can have a similar influence on the game playing in the starting lineup and facing first units night in and night out.
Another big hurdle for Sabonis will be to see whether he can effectively play alongside center Myles Turner. The Pacers are hoping that the answer is yes and that the two bigs’ different styles of play will complement each other. Sabonis is much more polished when playing in the post with his back to the basket and is an excellent passer. This allows the Pacers to play an inside-out style of offense, as Sabonis sucks defenders in and can then dish the ball out to an open man on the perimeter.
Sabonis’ struggles most often come on the defensive end, where he often seems sluggish in rotations. Sabonis has never averaged more than 0.4 blocks per game in any of his three seasons in the NBA. However, these struggles could be slightly alleviated by playing next to a defensive force like Turner, and Sabonis might be able to focus on rebounding while Turner alters shots with his length and chases down blocks. Only time will tell whether this partnership will work, but I am optimistic that Sabonis and Turner can compliment each other well on offense and defense.
Coming off the bench to relieve Sabonis will be third-year forward T.J. Leaf. Since being drafted by the Pacers in the first round in 2017, Leaf has struggled to carve out a significant role in the Indiana rotation. Leaf averaged just 9 minutes per game in only 58 appearances for the Pacers last season.
The Pacers will be counting on Leaf to take a big step forward this year after primarily focusing on revamping the backcourt in the 2019 offseason. Leaf will likely be the first big man off the bench for Indiana, and if he fails to take advantage of this opportunity for more playing time, the Pacers won’t have much experience to fall back on.
The final power forward on the bench for the Pacers is Alize Johnson, who is entering his second season in Indiana. Johnson made just 14 appearances for the Pacers last season after spending the majority of his rookie year with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. In 31 starts for the Mad Ants, Johnson dominated opponents by scoring 19.1 points and snatching 13.7 rebounds per game. If Johnson is able to earn a spot in the Pacers rotation this season, his excellent rebounding abilities will likely be what got him that chance.
All in all, a lot of the questions facing the Pacers this season come at the power forward position. Will Sabonis be able to be as effective playing a new position in the starting lineup? Can T.J. Leaf prove that he was worth a first round draft pick and avoid the “bust” label? If Leaf can’t make the jump, will Johnson be able to pick up some of the slack? If the answer to all of these questions is “YES”, then the Pacers should be in a great position to compete in the East. However, if the answer is “NO”, then Indiana could be in a lot of trouble this season.