Indiana Pacers Fantasy Basketball Season Recap

per Zak Hanshew, Rotomundo

Previous Team Recaps: DET, IT WAS, PER, ACS, SAS, Terms of reference, MEMO, UTA, BKN, ATL, CHI, OR, BAG, GSW, MIA, PHI, ENT, LAL

At a glance:

Record: 47-35 (6th, East)

Offensive Rating: 120.5 (2nd)

Defensive rating: 117.6 (24th)

Net rating: 2.9 (10th)

Pace: 102.1 (2nd)

2024 NBA Draft Picks: 36, 49, 50

After three consecutive seasons without appearing in the playoffs, the Pacers made a tremendous postseason run, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a decade. Indiana last reached the conference finals in 2013-14, when it played back-to-back campaigns, and the Paul-George-led team lost to the Big 3 Miami Heat.

This new Pacers team is one of the youngest in the Association, and the team’s offensive pace also makes it one of the most exciting. The future looks bright for Indiana on the court, and fantasy managers should be optimistic about drafting Pacers players in the future.

Fantasy Spotlight: Tyrese Haliburton

Hali finished as the ninth-ranked player per game for the second consecutive season, showcasing his efficient scoring, strong three-point shooting and elite playmaking skills. It was a monster season for the new “Point God,” although the campaign was a story of two halves.

Haliburton started the season on a high note and ranked 5th in fantasy value per game until January 8 before suffering a hamstring injury. He averaged 23.6 points, 12.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 0.7 blocks and 3.4 triples while shooting 49.7/86.8/40.3 splits in that period. Over the next three weeks, Hali appeared in just one game, and his production dropped considerably when he returned on January 30.

He ranked 27th after the injury, averaging just 16.8 points, 9.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 0.7 blocks and 2.3 triples with a 45.5/84 .3/32.4 split pitches. Those would have been solid numbers for most other players, but based on his top-5 ADP and his elite performance before the injury, his finish was quite disappointing.

Haliburton recorded 20/20 in consecutive games on December 28 and 30 and dished out a career-high 23 assists on December 30 against the Knicks. He averaged 20/10 for the second season in a row and has clearly established himself as a top-10 fantasy prospect for many years to come. Expect him to go top-5 in some 2024-25 fantasy drafts.

Costume Reveal: Andrew Nembhard

Finding a fantasy revelation on this team was a little difficult, but Nembhard’s postseason performance is as close as we can get! He ranked in the top 200 in fantasy value per game and had some quality games while Tyrese Haliburton was out in January. Most of the time, it wasn’t worth drafting him outside of the deep leagues. He averaged just 9.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 triples in 25.0 minutes per game. His playing time was down from 27.7 minutes as a rookie, but his 36-point production was nearly identical. Notably, Nembhard improved his shooting percentages to 49.8% from the floor and 80.4% from the charity stripe.

Nembhard’s production improved in the playoffs as he averaged 14.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.7 triples while shooting 56.0% from the field. He finished the Pacers’ postseason run with seven straight double-digit scoring drives, including two monster showings in Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference finals in which he averaged 28/5/9.5 with 3.5 triples with Tyrese Haliburton backstage.

Fantasy managers could bet on him in the later rounds of fantasy drafts in hopes he takes the next step in Year 3.

Fantasy Disappointment: Pascal Siakam

Fantasy managers who wanted Spicy P on their 2023-24 fantasy basketball teams had to pay a top-30 ADP to acquire him on draft day. Unfortunately, instead of bringing heat, his performance was subdued. Like Ned Flanders at a chili cookout, he had “only two alarms. Two and a half at most.

Siakam averaged 21.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.3 blocks and 1.1 triples. Those numbers were enough to finish in the top 80, but Siakam hardly lived up to his billing in the third round. A big part of the problem was playing time, as his minutes dropped from 37.4 to 33.2, and he filled a new role with the Pacers after being traded to Indiana midseason.

Siakam’s fantasy value was nearly identical for Toronto and Indiana. He was the 79th ranked Fantasy player before the trade and 77th after the trade. Indiana is a much deeper team than Toronto, and Siakam won’t get the monster minutes that Nick Nurse gave him when he coached the Raptors. Siakam’s ADP should rise into the middle rounds of fantasy drafts based on his performance in 2023-24 and projected usage in the future. Siakam is an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he is expected to remain in Indiana and reach a new deal.

Fantasy Recaps/Predictions

Miles Turner: Turner finished the season ranked outside the top 50 in fantasy basketball value per game after offering top-25 production in each of the last three seasons. He traded excellence for play for availability and played in 77 games, the most since the 2016-17 campaign. As a result, Turner was the 22nd ranked Fantasy player in total value, which was his best result in five seasons and the third best of his career.

The big man’s minutes took a toll on this loaded roster, and his 27.0 minutes were his lowest since his rookie season. Turner averaged 17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.5 triples and once again earned top fantasy value with his shot-blocking ability. Blocks were the third-lowest of his career, accounting for the drop in per-game value.

Turner may not have played in the second round, but he was a top-60 option for the eighth straight season. His ability to block shots and hit triples gives him a mid-round advantage with early-round advantages. It will be worth taking a look at rounds 4-6 of the 2024-25 fantasy drafts.

Bento Mathurin: Unfortunately, Mathurin’s second season ended early. He last played on March 5 and underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. Mathurin logged 78 games as a rookie, but just 59 in Year 2.

His playing time dropped from 28.5 minutes to 26.1 and his scoring took a small step back. He averaged 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.4 triples while shooting 44.6% from the floor and 82.1% from the charity stripe.

Mathurin is a masterful scorer, but there is little else to his game, and fantasy managers shouldn’t count on full production. He’s finished outside the top 200 in per-game value in each of his first two seasons, and unless he adds playmaking or defense to his repertoire, he won’t be worth drafting into the 2024-25 leagues. Mathurin is much more valuable in points leagues.

Obi Toppin: Toppin averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.6 steals in 21.1 minutes while shooting 57.3% from the floor in his first season with the Pacers. All of those were career highs for the fourth-year man, although he finished outside the top 150 in fantasy basketball value per game. Toppin made waves over the summer by catching lobs from Tyrese Haliburton, but Toppin’s athleticism and highlight-reel play didn’t endear him to fantasy managers.

He played an important role in the rotation off the bench for the uptempo Pacers as a microwave scorer and fastbreak specialist, but was not particularly effective in any category and was only worth rostering in deeper leagues. He has a similar outlook for next season, assuming Indiana keeps him as a free agent.

Aaron Nesmith: Like Toppin, Nesmith had the best season of his career, finishing with a per game rating of 118 behind averages of 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals, 0. 7 blocks, 1.9 triples, 27.7 minutes and 49.6% shooting. He showed off his well-rounded skills and set a new career high in points by dropping 26 points twice. Nesmith’s fantasy rating is a bit misleading. While he didn’t hurt fantasy managers tremendously in any category, he wasn’t elite in any category either. He’s worth a look in deeper tier leagues, but he doesn’t need to be drafted into 12-team leagues in 2024-25.

TJ McConnell: McConnell finished outside the top 150 in fantasy basketball value per game with limited minutes, and he’s typically a solid guy at the bottom of the lineup for managers in deeper leagues. McConnell offers elite production in assists and steals per minute, and he’s always a strong play when Tyrese Haliburton is forced to miss time. Consider him a late draft pick in leagues of 14 teams or deeper.

Restricted Free Agents: Isaiah Wong, Oscar Tshiebwe, Quenton Jackson, Obi Toppin

Unrestricted Free Agents: Pascal Siakam, Doug McDermott, Kendall Brown and James Johnson

Player Option: Jalen Smith