It’s amazing how much one season can change everything for an NBA team. Entering the 2013-14 season, the Indiana Pacers were supposed to be a legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference. Last season, they didn’t even make the playoffs. Following the rapid decline of Roy Hibbert, the trading of Lance Stephenson and a major injury to star wing Paul George, the team nosedived very quickly.
The Pacers opted to blow things up following this offseason as they traded Hibbert and allowed David West to walk. Indiana has frequently talked about being a team that will play with a faster tempo and will run a lot, and given all of the changes, they will look much different as a team next year. Here’s how we rank their top players in terms of fantasy value right now.
1. Paul George
The small forward position was absolutely loaded two seasons ago but injuries to players like George and Kevin Durant took their toll on the position and it wasn’t nearly as strong. Both players will be back next year and George in particular will have much more responsibilities without West and Hibbert in the fold. George averaged a team-high 21.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game when he was fully healthy in 2013-14 and while he struggled early on in his return last season, he should be closer to his prior form after a full offseason to get back to 100%. Combine that improvement with the bigger responsibility and George has the potential to be one of the better fantasy small forwards in the league. He’s unquestionably the most fantasy valuable player on this team.
2. George Hill
George Hill to Paul George is something we could be hearing a lot this season and both players will benefit from the experience they have playing with one another. Hill averaged a team-high 16.1 points, 5.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game last season with George out and he will need to step up again this season to help fill the scoring void left. There are certainly better point guards in the NBA than Hill but his experience and role with the team will help make him a solid play at the position next season. He continues to go underdrafted, so keep an eye on him as someone who could slip in drafts and offer good value.
3. Myles Turner
Although it might surprise some people to see a rookie above some of the veterans below, it looks like the Pacers may have struck gold with Turner. He’s looked fantastic in summer league action and given the Pacers need in the frontcourt and where you might end up drafting him (fairly low ADP), you have to consider Turner as one of the prime fantasy candidates on this team. The Pacers look like they’re going to feed him big minutes, so look for him to be a steady option for points, rebounds and possibly blocks and field goal percentage.
4. Rodney Stuckey
Stuckey proved to be a valuable cog for the Pacers backcourt, averaging 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game for the Pacers last season. He fit in quite well as he was able to either man the point and give Hill a breather or he was able to slide in alongside him at shooting guard. He’ll see a healthy dose of minutes after the team signed him to a pricey long-term deal. He’s someone you might want to eye late in your draft,
5. Jordan Hill
The Pacers acquired Hill with the hope that he can’t possibly be a downgrade from what they had at the position in Hibbert and it will be interesting to see how he fares in the Eastern Conference. Hill has mostly been an underachiever but he does have his value. If you’re looking for points and rebounds, and someone who won’t likely cripple your field goal percentage, Hill could be your guy. Nobody gets excited about owning Jordan Hill but he’s probably only competing with rookie Myles Turner for minutes, so he could be a decent contributor.
6. C.J. Miles
The veteran Miles averaged 13.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game a year ago but his scoring averages should dip a bit in the Indiana offense coming off the bench. Miles isn’t an elite scorer by any means but he’ll help your team with points and threes if you’re in a really deep league.
