T.J. Warren, Indiana Pacers

After trading for T.J. Warren during the 2019 NBA Draft, the Pacers had high hopes for the 27-year old wing and he stepped up big time for them with key players being out due to injuries. Last season, Warren averaged 19.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and shot 53.6% from the floor and 40.3% from three-point range. 

After the NBA’s resumption of play in the Orlando Bubble, T.J. Warren averaged 31.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and shot 52.4% from three-point range in 6 seeding games, leading to him being named to the All-Seeding Games First-Team. The emergence of TJ Warren last season was a great sign for the Pacers and with questions circulating around Victor Oladipo’s future in Indiana, Warren could be the guy to take the next step in his career this season and be one of the “alpha-dogs” of this team moving forward. 

Not only is T.J. Warren a great offensive player, but he is also one of the better defensive wing players in the league as well. Defensive Real Plus-Minus is an advanced statistic that tracks a player’s average impact on his team’s defensive performance, by the points allowed per 100 offensive possessions. Last season, Warren had a DRPM of 1.76, ranking him 9th in the league out of all small-forwards. 

With Malcolm Brogdon, TJ Warren, and Myles Turner, the Pacers have three great defenders, but Warren separates himself from the others with his play on offense. If the Pacers decide to move on from Victor Oladipo or they deal with injuries once again this season, TJ Warren could have a breakout year, averaging well above 20 points per game. 

Given his performance in the NBA Playoffs last season and given his year-by-year improvements, TJ Warren is definitely a candidate to be selected to his first All-Star appearance of his career.