Competitive training camp coming for Indiana Pacers players looking for minutes and opportunity

The Pacers are headed toward many battles in training camp

The Indiana Pacers have one of the deeper rosters in the NBA. They have several players who could get minutes on most NBA teams, and that is both a curse and a blessing.

On one hand, talent is valuable. If there are injuries, the blue and gold can handle them and have capable players ready to fill in. Their practices will be competitive, and that will help everyone improve.

The flip side is that some players may feel that they deserve minutes but don't play much. As Indiana looks to improve while still developing, they will need to find a good balance of youth and veterans in the lineup. Such thinking naturally leads to tough decisions, and with many players entering contract years who may want to prove their value, the Pacers have some difficult choices to make.

Those factors should lead to a competitive training camp with multiple players fighting for minutes, starting spots, and opportunity.

"The roster is very competitive. I love it. As a coach, you love it," head coach Rick Carlisle said in July. "Let's get these guys in the most competitive training camp situation possible and see who rises to the top and help everybody reach their highest level. And then the stuff with playing time, that stuff all gets figured out. I'm not worried about that."

The position battles for the blue and gold start at point guard. Tyrese Haliburton is an All-Star and the team's best player — he is a lock to start. Behind him, things are hazy.

Last season, T.J. McConnell held down the backup point guard spot. He did everything asked of him and improved as a jump shooter, which led to many career highs. His ability to put pressure on the rim enhanced the Pacers second unit.

Down the stretch of the season, young guard Andrew Nembhard began to get point guard reps. Sometimes, it was as a starter with Haliburton out. Other times, it was with the second unit. On occasion, he led both groups. In both situations, the youngster improved his floor general skills throughout his rookie campaign, and he played point guard all of his life prior to the NBA. In the pros, he played more as an off-ball guard thanks to his strong defense.

He could push McConnell for the backup point guard spot. McConnell didn't do anything that merits a reduction in playing time, but Nembhard' successful rookie season combined with his potential makes him a player worth developing. He needs to get minutes.

If McConnell is the Pacers backup point guard, then Nembhard would likely get most of his minutes on the wing. That's where he spent much of his time as a rookie. If that happens, then the position battles on the wing would become even more interesting.

Bennedict Mathurin, Bruce Brown, Buddy Hield, and Aaron Nesmith all have a case to get minutes as twos and threes. Mathurin, who started the last 11 games of the 2022-23 season, and Brown, who signed a $45 million contract this offseason, seem like the most likely starters at this moment. Brown is the highest paid player on the team and will give the blue and gold a boost on both ends. Mathurin is an ascending talent who made First-Team All-Rookie. He is a solid scorer with a mind for improvement.

As Indiana blends the present and the future, those two have the best cases to be in the opening five on the wing. But Hield started 73 games last season and is one of the NBA's best shooters. He could make a case to begin games, especially thanks to his fit with Haliburton. But the Pacers are looking for long-term role clarity with Hield.

"So Buddy [Hield] specifically. He's under contract for another year. So we don't have to early extend. We could. I love Buddy. There's some things that he does that's not on the court. The way he keeps practice light. But I think we've got to define his role next year," President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said of Hield's long-term outlook in April. "And if we can get a role where he's comfortable and we're comfortable, then I'm not opposed to [an extension]. Now I'm not saying we're going to do it for sure, but I'm not opposed to it."

The Pacers and Hield are apart on extension talks, according to reports, and that could lead to a trade. If Hield isn't traded, he should still get plenty of minutes. He fits well in the team's style and will make a case for more playing time early in the season.

Hield, Mathurin, and Brown are locks to be a part of the rotation. That leaves just one more open spot on the wing, and if McConnell fills the backup point guard spot, then those minutes seem likely to go to Nembhard. That would put Nesmith on the outside looking in despite a quality 2022-23 season. 

However, if Nembhard is the reserve floor general, then Nesmith would be the most likely wing to get playing time. In that way, Nesmith and McConnell could be competing for an opportunity in training camp.

Ben Sheppard, who Indiana drafted 26th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, and Jordan Nwora, who has dropped weight and hopes to be more positionally versatile next season, are the next players in line for rotation spots on the wing. They both appear to be on the outside looking in. If there is a need for depth at point guard, two-way contract guard Isaiah Wong would be the natural choice. None of those three players look to be in a position to earn minutes after training camp without a standout performance.

In the frontcourt, there is a similar dilemma. Jarace Walker was drafted eighth overall by Indiana, but they also acquired forward Obi Toppin in early July. Both players have potential and have different strengths with Toppin being more established at this stage.

Walker may have a higher ceiling and could be a better fit for the blue and gold long term, but Toppin is a solid offensive fit who strikes a nice balance between the present and the future. Both players have a case to be the starter at the power forward spot, and they could share minutes equally. But they may be battling for a starting spot, and more opportunities, throughout training camp.

Nwora would likely be next in line for minutes if either player were to get injured. Indiana could also opt to go small with Nesmith or Brown at the four spot at times.

Myles Turner has the starting center spot locked up, but there are many mysteries behind him. Daniel Theis, Isaiah Jackson, and Jalen Smith all have a case to be the backup big man.

Theis is the most talented of the three, and he just wrapped up a terrific run in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. His screen setting and decision making strengths make him a tough cover for inattentive defenders. But he may not be the best fit in the Pacers up-tempo style — he is better in more methodical offenses — and he is certainly not on the team's timeline at age 30 on an expiring contract.

Smith and Jackson are developing young centers with different strengths. Smith had flashes as an outside shooter in the past and is solid on the glass while Jackson is athletic and quick on defense. Both are worth developing, which is why the Pacers split time with each one as the backup five last year. Figuring out if either of them can be a long-term fit as the backup center is something the Pacers likely hope to accomplish this year.

Those two and Theis will all compete for playing time behind Turner. All three have cloudy contractual futures, so they will be hoping to prove they belong in the Pacers' rotation.

Outside of Haliburton and Turner, nothing is set in the Pacers rotation. The next few weeks are going to be competitive. "There's going to be a lot of competition in training camp," general manager Chad Buchanan said on the Setting The Pace podcast.

The coming days and preseason games will be important for Indiana to make decisions about their team this year. The position battles will be worth monitoring.

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• Report: Indiana Pacers start talks on a Buddy Hield trade after extension discussion breaks down. CLICK HERE.
• Takeaways for the Indiana Pacers from the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. CLICK HERE.
• Jermaine O'Neal shares his thoughts on his number not being retired and how the Indiana Pacers franchise treats former players. CLICK HERE.
• Pacers guard-to-be Darius McGhee discusses what makes Andrew Nembhard so good on the Locked On Pacers podcast. CLICK HERE.
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