Top five seasons by a shooting guard in Indiana Pacers history

Miller, Oladipo, and more Pacers shooting guard brilliance

Unknown date; Indianapolis, IN, USA; FILE PHOTO; Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller (31) in action at Conseco Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports / RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers best player in franchise history was a shooting guard, and the position has featured many strong talents in the blue and gold's past. They have been blessed with backcourt talent next to their point guards.

Reggie Miller is one of the best 50 or so players in NBA history, and he had several incredible seasons for the blue and gold. But which season was Miller's best? And what other shooting guards have dominated throughout Pacers history? The top five seasons by a Pacers player at the position answers those questions.

5: Reggie Miller in 1999-2000

Miller had several fantastic seasons for the Pacers. He spent his entire career with the franchise, and many of the best seasons by an Indiana team featured Miller. He changed the course of history for the Pacers.

In 2000, the Pacers made their only trip to the NBA Finals so far. Miller made an All-Star team and finished 13th in MVP voting that year after averaging 18.1 points per game in the regular season. His outside shooting was dominant in that era.

In the postseason, Indiana was humming, and Miller was a massive part of it. He averaged 24 points per game across 22 outings, though the Pacers lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. While this campaign wasn't Miller's best regular season, it was perhaps his best collective postseason performance and came with team success, making it a top-five campaign altogether.

4: Billy Knight in 1976-77

Knight was Indiana's starting shooting guard during the Pacers first season in the NBA, and he was terrific. The ABA star instantly was one of the NBA's best players and top scorers.

The Pennsylvania native averaged 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He was an All-Star during his first season in the NBA and shot 49.3% from the field. Knight was a do-it-all guard for the blue and gold.

Knight was the NBA's second leading scorer and averaged more points per game than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1976-77. He was electric in many ways and helped get the Pacers off on the right foot as they moved into the NBA.

3: Victor Oladipo in 2017-18

Oladipo did it all during his best season in Indiana. The Maryland native was traded to the Pacers before the 2017-18 campaign and immediately became the face of the franchise.

WIth more chances, Oladipo scored a career high 23.1 points per game. He poured in clutch shots every night and made threes at a reasonable clip. He grabbed over five rebounds per night and dished out more than four assists.

On defense, he was a menace. He shut down his man often and led the league in steals. For a player who had never been more than a high-end rotation player, Oladipo had a remarkable 2017-18 season.

He won the NBA's Most Improved Player award and was an All-Star for the first time. He made the All-NBA Third Team and First-Team All-Defense. He got some MVP and Defensive Player of the Year votes, too.

Oladipo was a terror on both ends, and his peak season was electric. Injuries made his time at the top short, but he was dominant for one full season — and had the Pacers not lost in the first round of the postseason, he could be higher on this list.

2: Reggie Miller in 1996-97

While Miller himself may not view this as one of his best seasons, it was certainly one of the best campaigns in his career and a transformative year for the all-time great.

The then 31-year old upped his three-point volume to almost seven attempts per game, a nearly unheard of volume for a player with Miller's accuracy. He shot 42.7% from deep that season, his second-best ever number, while letting it fly.

He was third in the league in three-point attempts per game, and the two players in front of Miller both shot under 37% from deep. His combination of volume and precision was unrivaled, and it led to a 21.6 points per game average. He made more threes than any other player that season and scored the 10th most points.

The Pacers had a down year and didn't reach the postseason. The team's shortcomings held Miller back from another All-Star campaign. But he was individually terrific, and this was perhaps his most dominant shooting season compared to his peers in the pros.

1: Reggie Miller in 1997-98

Many regard the 1997-98 Pacers as the most talented team in franchise history, and Miller's dominance that season played a huge role. It was the best combination of regular season brilliance and postseason success that the UCLA product ever saw.

Miller knocked down a career high 42.9% of his outside shots. He upped his steal figure while slashing his turnover and foul numbers. The legendary guard was able to translate some of his shooting prowess from the prior season while refining other areas of his game.

The California native was an All-Star for the fourth time that season and was named to the All-NBA Third Team. He received MVP votes and dragged the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they fell in seven games to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Miller maintained his numbers into the playoffs and kept shooting well. His teammates were talented, so he deferred when he needed to, but his killer instinct remained. In total, this season featured the best combination of Reggie Miller in the regular season and playoffs, and it's the best season by a shooting guard in Indiana Pacers history.

For more on this list, listen to the Locked On Pacers podcast.

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