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The 2020-21 NBA season is a few weeks away and training camp is underway. The Indiana Pacers went into the postseason with optimism. That was short-lived when they ran into Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. Four games later, the Pacers were done and soon after Nate McMillan was out as coach. Insert former Nick Nurse assistant Nate Bjorkgren, who will be tasked with not just getting Indiana to the playoffs, but perhaps actually winning a series for once. Here we’re going to take a look at the Pacers’ offseason, plus look ahead to the 2020-21 season.
2020 offseason
Key additions
Cassius Stanley, G (draft)
Key losses
N/A
2020-21 odds
Title odds: +10000
Win percentage: O/U 54.5
Victor Oladipo MVP odds: +25000
Myles Turner DPOTY odds: +5000
2020-21 roster
Depth Chart
PG: Malcolm Brogdon, Aaron Holiday, T.J. McConnell
SG: Victor Oladipo, Jeremy Lamb, Aaron Goliday
SF: T.J. Warren, Justin Holiday, Edmond Sumner
PF: Domantas Sabonis, Doug McDermott, JaKarr Sampson
C: Myles Turner, Goga Bitadze, JaKarr Sampson
Roster battles
N/A
Fantasy basketball
Best Sleeper
TJ Warren — Warren was arguably the MVP of the NBA bubble in the eight games the Pacers played. He scored 32+ points in four of the six games he played in the restart, including a 53-point outburst against the Sixers. That type of scoring won’t translate to this upcoming season, but Indiana will likely benefit from featuring Warren more on offense. Victor Oladipo may be on his way out and that would open up more usage for Warren. He’s a good mid-to-late round sleeper with upside.
Likely Bust
Victor Oladipo — I ultimately think Dipo will get traded somewhere, but while he’s on the Pacers, it’s hard to like his value. He can back from a torn quad last season and didn’t look the same. Whether it was because he was unhappy with his usage or because the injury was the issue, who knows. Oladipo likely won’t get back to All-Star level and the Pacers have a lot of mouths to feed in terms of fantasy — Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, Warren, Myles Turner.