White-Hot T.J. Warren Proves Value in Indiana Offense
The Indiana Pacers win over the Milwaukee Bucks helped to steady the ship after a rocky stretch that included a six-game losing streak and a string of late-game collapses. There were many reasons for the Pacers struggles in the weeks leading into the All-Star break. All-NBA guard Victor Oladipo was working himself back into the offense after returning from a year-long stretch on the injury report. Indiana’s collapses in the final minutes left fans wondering if Oladipo and point guard Malcolm Brogdon would fit together in the offense. The Pacers looked like they couldn’t decide who would be the go-to guy down the stretch.
However, I think a major issue that wasn’t discussed enough was that small forward T.J. Warren missed three and a half of six games during that losing streak. Warren has been a major cog in the Pacers offense in his first season in Indiana, narrowly leading the team with 18.5 points and 14.0 field goal attempts per game. Warren is getting his work done efficiently as well, shooting 53.0 percent from the floor while knocking down a respectable 37.3 percent of his three-point attempts. When Warren went down with a concussion against the Knicks, the Pacers lost a key part of their offense, but this got buried in the headlines due to the buzz surrounding Oladipo’s return.
Warren made his way back into the lineup after missing 3 games with a concussion, and he played some of his best basketball of the season in the final three games before the All-Star break. To put it simply, Warren almost couldn’t miss, as he averaged 25.3 points on a collective 33/44 (75%) shooting, including 9/15 (60%) from 3. While the Pacers only won one of those three games, the hot shooting showed exactly what Indiana was missing without Warren on the floor, and clearly demonstrated the pivotal role Warren plays in the Pacers offensive system.
Warren role in the Pacers offense has been very similar to the one former Pacer Bojan Bogdanovic played last season. When looking at their stats from last year, it’s no surprise that the Pacers pegged Warren as their choice to replace Bogdanovic, who eventually signed a four year, $74 million contract with the Utah Jazz that proved too rich for the Pacers to match. A quick look at their main offensive statistics from last year shows very similar players:
Warren 2018/19 (42 games): 18.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists. .486/.428/.815 shooting splits, 4.2 3PA.
Bogdanovic 2018/19 (81 games): 18.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists. .497/.425/.807 shooting splits, 4.8 3PA.
While neither Bogdanovic or Warren would be considered the face of their Pacers teams, it is undeniable that they were extremely vital to the Pacers offense over the past few seasons. Neither is a star, but when you need a bucket, you can always count on them to get the job done. The main difference between the two players is that Warren does most of his work inside of the arc, while Bogdanovic splits his time more evenly inside and outside of the three-point line.
At the end of the game, T.J. Warren probably won’t be the man with the ball in his hands. Between Oladipo and Brogdon, the Pacers have two extremely capable creators who can find their own shot or dish it out to a teammate. The Pacers also run much other offense through the hands of Domantas Sabonis, who has shown great passing talent for a big man and continues to rack up assists with his deft touch and excellent vision. Despite this, Warren still finds a way to lead the team in points and shots and this just goes to show how well he complements his teammates’ style of play and why he’s a perfect fit for this Pacers system. Warren is the glue that holds this Pacers offense together, as his dependability and consistency helps to keep the offense moving when it needs it the most.