Chris Duarte projects as being instant contributor
When you look at this Pacers roster as a whole and assume they will be at full strength at some point, it is clear to see the talent they have with guys like Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert on offense, as well as the contributions guys like T.J. Warren and Myles Turner can give this team defensively, but there are some question marks about what this bench can bring to the table.
Jeramy Lamb is a veteran player they will likely look to trade at some point with him being in the final year of his contract and outside of T.J. McConnell and Justin Holiday, there is not much consistency this team can lean on for scoring. This is why Chris Duarte really does have a shot to be in the rotation all season long.
Duarte’s play this preseason is just backing up the fact that the 24-year-old guard is NBA-ready.
When you look ahead at the 2021-22 season and begin looking at where teams could wind up landing in the standings, you have to be able to point out x-factors for each team.
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The Miami Heat have a guy like Tyler Herro that could prove useful for them in their pursuit of a title and for the Golden State Warriors, Jordan Poole is a young talent that has a chance to be this difference-maker for them.
For the Indiana Pacers, this player is and needs to be Chris Duarte. There are no flaws in his game to this point and while it is just preseason, he has been absolutely fantastic. He can shoot, score off-the-dribble, defend at a relatively high level, rebound, pass, and most importantly, he gives 110% effort on every single play, regardless if he is tired or not.
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The future is definitely bright for Chris Duarte and if the Pacers are to make the playoffs this season, it will be in large part because of the contributions the rookie gives this team off-the-bench.
