The Indiana Pacers boast one of the most exciting young rosters in the NBA. After offseason additions of Bruce Brown, Jarace Walker, and Opi Toppin, the team has a legitimate shot at making playoff noise come April.
Known for a youth movement led by guards like Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana has an underrated group of big men. Myles Turner leads their center rotation as the bonafide starter, but the battle for the backup center spot should make for an interesting Pacers storyline this season.
Isaiah Jackson enters his third NBA season with sky-high upside. The 21-year-old can jump out of the gym, and he uses his athleticism and energy to do dirty work for the Pacers on both ends of the floor. Jackson cleans the glass at a high level and blocks shots like it’s going out of style.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Isaiah Jackon, Daniel Theis, Jalen Smith, Indiana Pacers Updates
Last season, Jackson started 12 games and averaged 10.8 points, 6.3 boards, and 2.5 blocks in those contests. Per 36 minutes, the high-flying big man averaged 15.7 points, 9.7 total rebounds, 3.9 offensive rebounds, and 3.2 rejections.
In his Media Day interview, Jackson expressed high confidence in his game heading into the 2023-24 season.
“I’m feeling very confident,” Jackson said. “I just feel like it’s sort of my year … I just feel confident in my game. I’ve been working extremely hard this summer … Just working on my craft, working on the things I know I can do.”
Through Indiana’s first two preseason games, Jackson has averaged an underwhelming 3.5 points and 4.0 rebounds. However, he has only received 13 minutes in each contest.
Jalen Smith will also compete for backup center honors this season. The former Sun put together a solid 2022-23 campaign, notching 9.4 points per game on 47.6% shooting from the field and 28.3% shooting from three. Across 31 starts, Smith averaged 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds but still shot 29.8% from downtown.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Isaiah Jackon, Daniel Theis, Jalen Smith, Indiana Pacers Updates
Smith’s dip in long-range accuracy understandably concerned Pacers fans. Unlike Jackson, Smith does not present much of a defensive threat in the paint. The stretch big averaged 0.9 blocks as a starter, and he has never averaged one block per game for a single season.
Two games into preseason play, Smith has thoroughly outplayed Jackson. Smith’s 10 points per game on 64.3% shooting were boosted by an awesome 5/5 shooting night in Indiana’s most recent outing against the Houston Rockets.
On Media Day, Smith discussed what he will need to do to earn backup minutes this season.
“Just going out there and playing hard,” Smith said. “Playing through everything, fighting for everything … Making sure that I’m leaving an impact on the floor offensively and defensively.”
While Smith and Jackson are expected to lead the charge for backup minutes, Daniel Theis may have something to say about the matter. The German veteran recently became a world champion at the FIBA World Cup this summer.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Isaiah Jackon, Daniel Theis, Jalen Smith, Indiana Pacers Updates
Germany made history as they took home a gold medal in basketball for the first time ever. As Germany’s starting center, Theis averaged 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds across eight World Cup contests. In the semifinals, Theis outplayed every big man on Team USA in an incredible upset win over the clear title favorites. Theis played arguably his best game ever in the biggest moment of his career as he dropped 21 points and seven rebounds on 10-of-15 shooting.
Heading into his second season as a Pacer, Theis’ health is much improved from last year. At Media Day, the 31-year-old spoke about the benefit of having a longer offseason that started in April. Two summers ago, Theis’ offseason began in June after he went to the NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics.
“It’s a different story,” Theis said. “The year before, I came out of the Finals and basically had no days off … This summer was from mid-April. I was able to prepare myself and to get restarted Aug. 1, so I had like four months to get my body right … It’s gonna help for camp and for preseason, just having game rhythm … Body-wise, I’m healthy. I have no issues at all.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Isaiah Jackon, Daniel Theis, Jalen Smith, Indiana Pacers Updates
As a veteran on one of the league’s ten youngest rosters, Theis’ role is a bit of a mystery heading into the season. According to Tony East of Sports Illustrated, Theis isn’t too worried about the situation and simply looks forward to competing for minutes and embracing the challenge.
“For me personally, I don’t think about it too much,” Theis said. “This summer brought me new joy and love for basketball in a way after a tough season last year. Just enjoy playing basketball and compete. That’s what I’ve got to do for the next couple of weeks.”
Theis’ extensive playoff experience and high basketball IQ would typically make him a frontrunner for the backup role, but Indiana’s focus on developing young talent around Haliburton may keep Theis from seeing consistent playing time.
As the new season looms closer, head coach Rick Carlisle will have some tough decisions to make when it comes to the Pacers’ frontcourt rotations.
