Nick Ogren

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

Siakam & Nembhard are returning pillars for this roster. TJ, Obi and Nesmith - all out for long stretches last year - are returning healthy as well. Pacers are adding back their franchise cornerstone in Haliburton. Splash in a top 10 center with Zubac. And now Indy has just solidified its bench by adding Kelly Oubre Jr, a long and versatile wing (who was just a starter for a team that beat Boston in the playoffs).

For those concerned that the Pacers haven’t done *enough* this offseason, let’s be real: this roster projects to be BETTER than the team that went to game 7 of the NBA finals 13 months ago.

Zubac is better than Turner, and I contend that Oubre Jr. is a better overall player AND fit for this team than Mathurin ever was. Drew, AA & Shep have shown tangible signs of growth. And I would rather have the combo of Nesmith, Toppin and Oubre over a big name like Trey Murphy. Depth matters more than ever. I trust this front office.

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

Moving forward in the offseason…. Pacers can still look to trade for a better backup center, using perhaps Jarace or Shep’s expiring contracts and/or some combo of draft capital. Yves Missi has always been my favorite target, but recent reports suggest that NOP have made him unavailable in trade discussions.

So other potential targets of interest to me:

Ryan Kalkbrenner
Oso Ighodaro
Mouhamed Gueye

Thoughts on these players?
Any other rostered names to add to this list?

@PacersPostUp

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@_Facci I never saw a future with him as a Pacer, but I’m glad he got another opportunity to stay in the league

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

Right/agreed. And Oubre can create his own shot as well (to a lesser extent, as he does not have the total offensive artillery Mathurin does).

But his length, physicality on defense, ability to fit within the system and play in transition may supersede Mathurin’s overall value to the team. That’s my only point. And it’s just my opinion, nothing more.

I do like your analogy of Mathurin being our changeup. He would occasionally keep us in some games when the offense wasn’t flowing. I definitely think there were factions of the fanbase than undervalued (and overvalued) Mathurin.

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

Siakam & Nembhard are returning pillars for this roster. TJ, Obi and Nesmith - all out for long stretches last year - are returning healthy as well. Pacers are adding back their franchise cornerstone in Haliburton. Splash in a top 10 center with Zubac. And now Indy has just solidified its bench by adding Kelly Oubre Jr, a long and versatile wing (who was just a starter for a team that beat Boston in the playoffs).

For those concerned that the Pacers haven’t done *enough* this offseason, let’s be real: this roster projects to be BETTER than the team that went to game 7 of the NBA finals 13 months ago.

Zubac is better than Turner, and I contend that Oubre Jr. is a better overall player AND fit for this team than Mathurin ever was. Drew, AA & Shep have shown tangible signs of growth. And I would rather have the combo of Nesmith, Toppin and Oubre over a big name like Trey Murphy. Depth matters more than ever. I trust this front office.

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@NEWLIN__ Saying Kelly Oubre Jr. is better than Mathurin (at the moment) - whether you agree or not - is not slander.

I actually like Mathurin and wished there was a universe where the Pacers could have kept him.

We shall see what he signs for with the Clips.

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

Filthy!!!

[AKRiley @AKRileyy5]

Ewwwwwwww

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@BCAgroup All of the injuries were disastrous. This team was unrecognizable for much of the year. I actually think this team back healthy together will exceed expectations on the defensive end next season.

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@the2kmessiah Damn straight

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@PacersPostUp Well said! Couldn’t agree more!

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@PacersPostUp The ‘26-27 season can’t come soon enough!

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

Great analysis here Tony! I’m a huge fan of this signing. I will be very interested to see what else the Pacers might do this offseason.

How can they potentially upgrade backup C?

Once Furphy returns, Oubre/Jarace/Furphy seems a little redundant (unless additional injuries are a factor). Does Jarace get moved?

I guess time will tell.

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

While I don’t expect LeBron to come to Indy…. In the unlikely event that he did, I would just feel so conflicted about it. LeBron always makes everything about LeBron. And I just feel like the Pacers do not need him to win a title. And if we did win the title, the narrative would be less about Haliburton & Siakam & the city of Indianapolis… and more about LeBron and his career and putting this franchise over the top.

I don’t know. I’m probably being too stubborn/sensitive about this.

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@surreal73 @Pacers Fair enough. You’re obviously entitled to that opinion (a sizable segment of the fanbase would probably agree with you).

Agree with you on the 2nd part.

Fingers crossed for good health this year!

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

Oubre is 30 and in his prime. IMO, he’s better *today* than Mathurin. They’re very different players with different strengths.

Oubre is more efficient offensively (advanced stats show this), even though I would say that Mathurin is a slightly more complete offensive weapon.

Mathurin’s fit (or lack thereof) with the team has always been a storyline since he’s been a Pacer. To be sure, he has worked hard to improve within the Pacers system. But the Pacers targeted Oubre precisely because he appears to be a good fit for their system.

Oubre is a plus defender and can guard positions 1-4. I watched every game of that Boston Philly series and thought he was spectacular. You could stick him on Brunson just as easily as you could Jaylen Brown. Mathurin would cook offensively once or twice a series, but often times his run was limited as he was a liability on defense.

And worse case, if Oubre does work out - only paying him 2 yr $16.5mil. Low risk, high reward. Pacers were never gonna pay Mathurin what he wanted, so better to flip him for Zubac than to lose him for nothing.

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@GladysDaycare Yes

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

Mathurin’s performance Game 3 NBA finals will be seared into my mind forever.

Yet I also remember him being played off the floor and constantly being targeted by opposing offenses. His inconsistency was a flaw, even though the threat was always there.

Oubre’s clutch shotmaking and his high motor & disruptive energy on defensive end was an important factor in Philly climbing out of the 3-1 hole to Boston this spring. His fingerprints were all over that series… and I suspect he will be an impactful bench piece for us as well.

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@donaldhale57 He’ll be back!

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@AlexGoldenNBA What is “more” for this team?
Do we mean 2-3 rotational pieces for Trey?

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@AlexGoldenNBA Oubre Jr. for sure! 💯 Well written - thank you!

[Nick Ogren @NickOgren]

@linkianapolis Last year, Mathurin 17+ ppg. And Oubre Jr. 14+ ppg.

Two different types of players, to be fair.

Oubre Jr. was more efficient offensively, is a better fit stylistically, and is a plus wing defender that can guard positions 1-4.

Is the tradeoff worth ~3 ppg?