The Indiana Pacers will head into the 2025-26 season with a vastly different team than the one that lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. While the Pacers didn’t make any major additions, they project to have a lot of competition, including at point guard.
Indiana went 50-32 last season, marking its most victories in 20-plus years. The Pacers’ loss in the NBA Finals was the second time they had fallen in the championship series in franchise history. However, the Pacers won’t have two key members from last year’s squad as Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the Finals and is out for the year. Meanwhile, Myles Turner bolted for Milwaukee following the season.
Pacers 2-Way Guard Expected To Compete For Regular Role After Fantastic Summer
Rick Carlisle likes to use a three-guard lineup, so he may have decisions to make. Carlisle’s starting five for the whole postseason was Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, and Turner. With Haliburton sidelined, Nemhard will bump over to the point, and Benedict Mathurin will slide into Nesmith’s spot at the two.
Indiana was 21-8 in games that Nembhard and Mathurin started together, and the pair registered a +7.4 point differential. Moreover, the Pacers’ projected starting backcourt of Nembhard, Nesmith, and Mathurin was the most efficient trio of any franchise players.
Siakam will anchor the Pacers frontcourt, but the question is who will start alongside the 31-year-old forward. Obi Toppin and Isaiah Jackson appear to be the most likely candidates to start at center. Jay Huff, whom the Pacers acquired from Memphis, is also a candidate to begin with the first unit.
TJ McConnell, Ben Sheppard, and Jarace Walker, along with two of the three players mentioned as likely candidates to start besides Siakam. Carlisle likes to play lots of players, with 10 players appearing in at least 20 postseason games. So, there will likely be plenty of battles for playing. One specific question is who will serve as the Pacers’ third point guard, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
3 Youngsters Expected To Compete For Pacers Backup PG Role
Dopirak said that RayJ Dennis appears to be the frontrunner for third-string point guard duties behind Nemhard and McConnell. However, Quenton Jackson and Kam Jones are also in the mix for that role. Dennis and Jackson are on two-way deals, while Jones signed a standard agreement after being selected with the No. 38 pick in the draft.
Here is a look at all three players.
RayJ Dennis
Dennis went undrafted out of Baylor in 2024. The 6-2 point guard signed a training camp contract with the Los Angeles Clippers last September before being waived a week into camp. He then bounced to the Washington Wizards on a two-way deal but was released a few days later. After playing and putting up strong numbers for the G-League San Diego Clippers, Dennis inked a two-way contract with the Pacers on January 3.
Dennis saw limited time with the Pacers last season, struggling in the 70 minutes over 11 appearances. However, the 24-year-old is coming off a strong league campaign, compiling 15.8 points, 7.2 assists, and 1.8 steals. He averaged 2.5 threes a contest while shooting 42/40/84.6.
Dennis was efficient in most games, shooting 50% from the field in three of the four summer league contests. Dennis demonstrated excellent handling, decision-making skills, and the ability to be a pesky on-ball player. He scored 15 or more points three times, topping the 20-point mark twice, and produced one double-double.
Quenton Jackson
Jackson is entering his fourth season in the NBA and third with the Pacers. The 26-year-old thrived in the G-League and showed some promise in his 28 games with the Pacers, scoring in double-figures 11 times while topping the 20-point plateau on three occasions.
Jackson is more of a scorer than a distributor. The 6-5 guard can handle the ball but is better off the ball as he is capable of playing all three backcourt positions. His defense is a question mark. Additionally, he scored 24 points on 8 of 10 shots in 26 minutes in his lone summer league appearance.
Kam Jones
Jones was selected with the No. 38 overall pick by San Antonio in this past summer’s draft out of Marquette. The Pacers acquired the 6-4 guard from the Spurs.
Jones showed some real promise as a facilitator during the summer league, but his decision-making and ball-handling need to improve. He shot the ball well, though he was a high-volume three-point shooter.
Jones showed improvement in each of his four summer league games. The 23-year-old scored in double-figures in three of his final four contests with one double-double. Turnovers and defense were an issue.
Jones averaged 13.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.8 steals in 26.3 minutes. He drained 1.5 threes with shooting splits of 48.8/33.3/75.
Photo Credit: © David Richard, Imagn Images
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