Derek Schultz: Next steps for Pacers need to develop team’s core

A quick Eastern Conference Finals exit couldn’t sour an entertaining and memorable 2023-2024 season for the Indiana Pacers. A surprise run to the NBA’s final four kept the blue and gold relevant through race weekend, something that hasn’t happened in a decade, and many fans are bullish on the team’s immediate future.

Most of the Pacers’ core pieces remain under contract, from their $260 million man (Tyrese Haliburton) to their $2.6 million one (rising rookie Ben Sheppard), leading many to wonder if they’ll just run it back next season. Continuity, while an advantage in most cases, is no guarantee of success, with the Atlanta Hawks since their surprise conference finals run in 2021 qualifying as a recent example. Significant improvement is still needed, and there’s no question the improvement will have to come from within, especially if the Pacers lock up Pascal Siakam alongside Haliburton for the foreseeable future.

That’s where our list starts for Indiana’s next steps toward championship contention:

◗ Re-sign Pascal Siakam

If we were to just list the Pacers’ offseason priorities in numerical order, this one would rank No. 1 through 10. Not only would the Pacers not have reached the conference finals without Siakam, they wouldn’t have been a top-six seed and might not have even survived the play-in round. Acquired in mid-January in the immediate wake of Haliburton’s hamstring injury, Siakam steadied the ship, averaging 22.4, 21.1 and 21.7 points per game over the season’s final three full months while shooting 43% from 3-point range over the last three weeks to help Indiana avoid the play-in and hold on to the sixth seed in the East playoffs.

“The Pacers have already made their biggest move in getting Pascal,” said Scott Agness, who covers the team for The Fieldhouse Files. “Now it’s about building on the momentum from this season, both by extending Siakam and allowing this group to grow into its own.”

Siakam turned 30 in April, and might have already hit his peak in Toronto, leading to consternation in some Pacers-fan circles that he isn’t worth a star-level contract. But, even if his days as an All-NBA-level performer are over, he brings consistency and durability to the Pacers that are extremely valuable. Not counting the two years impacted by COVID in 2019-2021, he’s missed just 30 total games over his past five full seasons, and his championship pedigree and versatile skill set are important to an organization that could use more of both.

The Pacers might have to overpay to keep him—he’s eligible for a five-year maximum extension, which carries a price tag north of $240 million—but they need to take advantage of the rare opportunity to secure a high-profile free agent and the clear contention window they have at the moment.

◗ Extend McConnell and Toppin.

Can you imagine having this subhead back in October? At that point, T.J. McConnell found himself out of the rotation, and Obi Toppin had just been traded by the Knicks for a pair of second-round picks. Fast forward to June, and both played invaluable roles for the Pacers during the season and in their playoff march as key components of perhaps the best bench unit in the league in 2023-2024. Technically, neither player is free to go yet—McConnell has a year remaining on his existing deal, and the Pacers can match any offer for Toppin, who is a restricted free agent—but Indiana would be best served to address both situations.

The 32-year-old McConnell had a career year last season, and his constant tenacity and ability to infuriate opponents has endeared him to the fan base, a rarity for a bench player. Toppin’s strengths fit this Pacers offense like a glove, and he made significant improvement as a 3-point shooter in what was also a career campaign for the forward. He’ll be pricey, and Kevin Pritchard & Co. will have to navigate that extension delicately amid the mega Siakam deal, but since we’re approaching this as a “win now” proposition, both players are worth keeping and keeping happy.

◗ Develop a second or third star from within.

Besides the need for Haliburton to raise his game to the NBA’s uppermost crust, this is the biggest box to mark for the Pacers on their championship contender checklist. It seems fairly simple to plot Siakam’s trajectory, at least in the next handful of seasons, as he’s undoubtedly going to be a core pillar. It is much more difficult to do so with Pacers youngsters Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard or Jarace Walker. Sans a lottery pick—or a first-round pick at all—in this month’s NBA Draft, the Pacers are even more reliant on significant growth from at least one of their young assets.

That’s especially the case with Mathurin, whose sophomore campaign was partially nuked by a torn labrum, costing him (and the Pacers, for that matter) what would’ve been a valuable postseason experience. A fearless scorer, Mathurin took some steps forward last season, even if it wasn’t the significant leap some had hoped for, with improvements in his outside shooting and his overall fit in the Pacers offense. While he’s shown himself to be a capable NBA player in his first two seasons, he’ll need to make the jump to star caliber to solidify the Pacers’ foundation of Haliburton and Siakam with a third component.

“If Mathurin emerges into a much greater role, that’s when you can start talking about this team as a contender,” Agness said. “Right now, they’re still on the outside of that moniker.”

The Pacers think he’ll get there, as evidenced by a firm vote of confidence from head coach Rick Carlisle at the end of the season. “Mathurin has a chance to be a star-caliber player for the Indiana Pacers,” Carlisle said. “His workouts this summer are going to be geared toward fast, efficient, quick decision making and developing defensively. He has the ability to be a terrific two-way player in this league.”

His draft class compadre, Nembhard, had a coming-out party of sorts in Mathurin’s postseason absence. Nembhard was one of the Pacers’ best players in the Celtics and Bucks series and made several key contributions—including the Game 3 winner and perhaps the biggest shot in recent memory for the Pacers—in the semifinal win over New York. He often draws the opposing team’s best player on the other end, too, making him one of the team’s most valuable defenders.

The stakes might be lower for Walker’s panning out, but at just 20 years old, you can still throw a To Be Determined tag on him. The eighth overall pick in the 2023 draft played 31 total playoff minutes for the Pacers, half of which were spent at the end of blowout results. Developing into a prominent two-way player may still be in the cards for him, but Walker’s development might continue to be stymied by a logjammed front court that is still likely to include both Siakam and Toppin next season.

With Siakam potentially becoming a second max player and possible extensions looming for Toppin, McConnell and even Nembhard himself, there won’t be much available for outside help, barring a trade. Mathurin might remain the most likely candidate for ascension, but it’s hard to envision the Pacers truly competing for an NBA championship without him, Walker or Nembhard growing into a notable second or third star to thrive alongside Haliburton and Siakam.•

__________

From Peyton Manning’s peak with the Colts to the Pacers’ most recent roster makeover, Schultz has talked about it all as a sports personality in Indianapolis for more than 15 years. Besides his written work with IBJ, he’s active in podcasting and show hosting. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Schultz975.