How Indiana Pacers Veteran Center Daniel Theis Can Impact His New Team

The story of the Indiana Pacers 2022 offseason is about their addition of youth and draft picks. The Pacers’ roster is now comprised of simply three gamers who’re older than 26 — Indiana has begun a rebuild.

The blue and gold added many belongings this offseason that match a constructing imaginative and prescient. They drafted three gamers so as to add to their youth pipeline, they acquired a primary spherical draft decide and a former 2020 lottery decide (Aaron Nesmith) in a commerce with Boston, and their largest free company signing was 22-year outdated Jalen Smith. The Pacers greatest days are forward of them.

Indiana did find yourself buying one veteran participant this offseason although, and the addition has flown underneath the radar largely because of the context of the Pacers offseason. In a commerce with the Celtics, the Pacers had been despatched huge man Daniel Theis, a 30-year outdated who has been within the league for 5 seasons.

Had Theis been born 11 days earlier, he could be the oldest participant on Indiana’s roster. Because it stands, he’s the crew’s third-highest paid participant. He simply contributed within the NBA Finals for the Jap Convention champions 68 days in the past. Whereas Theis could also be outdoors of the Pacers most popular age vary, he nonetheless could have worth to the crew as a veteran with noteworthy experiences.

“I really feel like town of Indy is unquestionably his sort of vibe,” Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith stated of Theis. Nesmith and Theis had been teammates in Boston previous to this season and had been traded to Indiana collectively.

“He’s a great teammate. Nice man, nice individual off the ground [and] on the ground,” Nesmith added. The pair performed collectively for practically 200 minutes throughout two seasons with the Celtics.

Theis brings his teammate expertise to Indiana with him, which might be useful for a youthful Pacer group. The German huge man hasn’t been within the league lengthy, however he’s appeared in 40 profession playoff video games whereas additionally enjoying for a rebuilding Houston Rockets crew for a part of this previous season. His expertise, each as a veteran on a rebuilding crew and a key piece on contenders, will show useful to Indiana.

The Salzgitter native will present utility on the hardwood as nicely. Whereas it isn’t precisely clear what Theis’ position might be or if he’ll even be in Indiana’s rotation, he’ll profit the blue and gold throughout his enjoying time because of a wide range of expertise.

Certainly one of Theis’ greatest talents is his display setting. Celtics wing Jayson Tatum as soon as famous what number of pictures he’s in a position to knock down due to Theis’ screens, and the Pacers huge man ranked within the top-10 in display assists per-36 minutes throughout his final full season the place he stayed with one franchise. He’ll open up the ground for Indiana guards with sturdy picks.

When Theis rolls to the basket after a display, he could be deadly. He ranked within the 92.2 percentile when rolling to the basket final season with Boston, and his crew averaged 1.42 factors per possession in these cases. His skill to complete across the basket and handle the ball in these conditions shines, and the Pacers might be higher for it — they execute actions involving a roll man ceaselessly.

Theis excels as a finisher across the basket. He knocked down 74.5% of his appears to be like from three ft and on this previous season and has hovered round that accuracy stage for his whole profession. His quantity of makes an attempt is pretty low, however Theis makes good choices when deciding if he has an open look or not. His true taking pictures share has been above 60% in all however one season of his profession.

Along with his previous groups, the large man has often shared the frontcourt with one other extra inside centered participant. That has led to Theis changing into a greater cutter — he has been compelled to seek out nooks and crannies the place he could be efficient when he’s stretched out to the perimeter.

When the five-year professional is lurking on the baseline, he usually slashes in for straightforward appears to be like as soon as the protection rotates. His timing when he inserts himself in a play after beginning on the weakside is spectacular. Theis graded out nicely as a cutter this previous season, reaching practically 1.4 factors per possession in these conditions.

On protection, regardless of being shorter for a middle, Theis is cumbersome but nimble. He can battle with different put up gamers and even gave the Pacers hassle within the 2019 playoffs when he was with the Celtics. Basketball Reference’s defensive field plus-minus has rated him as an above common defender in all however one season of his profession.

Each the Celtics and the Rockets had a greater defensive score with Theis on the ground than off this previous season. His mixture of top, energy, and mobility is uncommon, and his groups profit from that defensively. Now, that influence might be in Indiana. Behind Myles Turner, his on/off stats received’t shine as brightly, however he can nonetheless be a optimistic influence defender for the blue and gold.

Talking of Turner, Indiana does have a comparatively crowded frontcourt. Turner tasks to begin on the heart spot for the Pacers, and the crew has publicly acknowledged that Jalen Smith will open video games within the energy ahead spot. Oshae Brissett, Isaiah Jackson, Terry Taylor, and Goga Bitadze will all be within the combine for minutes within the frontcourt as nicely. Theis could not really play in high-leverage conditions a lot.

Nonetheless, as a result of the veteran huge can play the 4 or the 5 — largely because of his first rate outdoors taking pictures for a giant man (32.9% for his profession) and his well-timed cuts — he nonetheless could get some minutes on this Pacers crew. Whereas Indiana ought to prioritize youthful gamers as they construct a rotation, Theis is a positive possibility in sure conditions, and his sturdy display setting might be useful within the growth of younger Pacers guards.

Nonetheless, barring harm, Daniel Theis tasks to be a depth piece for the Indiana Pacers this season. However he has a handful of high-level expertise which have made him a coveted piece for a number of groups in latest seasons, and Indiana will profit from these abilities all through the 2022-23 marketing campaign. Whereas Theis will not be within the Pacers long-term plans because of his age and place, he can nonetheless be a optimistic affect on the franchise because the crew transitions from one period to the subsequent.