After Myles Turner joined the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency, the Indiana Pacers had a difficult question to answer: Who is going to replace him?
Turner had his flaws. He wasn't much of a rebounder (he averaged a career 6.8 RPG with the Pacers despite being 6-foot-11), his defense was rapidly regressing, and he didn't provide much offensive value when his shot didn't fall. However, he was still a great fit in the system because of his ability to protect the rim, stretch the floor, and run in a fast-paced offense.
Replacing the Texas native in one offseason was never going to be an easy task for the Pacers, so they opted to run a center-by-committee instead. As opposed to relying on a one-for-one replacement for Turner, Indiana chose to rely on numerous players to replace his value. It's almost like taking a slice of what made Turner a good fit for the Pacers and giving one to each player.
This was a bold idea. A center-by-committee is a good idea in theory as it allows multiple players (in this case, Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, Tony Bradley, and James Wiseman for a cup of coffee to make an impact and showcase what they bring to the table. But it could also be a bad thing because the team is relying on different B or C-level players to get the job done. And if even one of them struggles, it can put the whole team in a tough spot.
To begin the season, this is exactly how it looked for Indiana. However, this has greatly changed in recent games, and it's all thanks to the breakouts of Huff and Jackson.
Jay Huff and Isaiah Jackson are finally turning it up
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It was tough for Huff and Jackson to begin the season.
Despite essentially being brought in to be a Turner-lite, [Huff struggled to shoot the ball](https://8points9seconds.com/jay-huff-unfortunate-realization-pacers-season), connecting on 27.7% of his three-point attempts through his first 16 games with the Pacers. Additionally, the Virginia alum looked slow on defense and wasn't as switchable or versatile as the team needed him to be. But [he has continued to improve](https://8points9seconds.com/pacers-potential-myles-turner-regret-go-away-jay-huff-latest-bulls-bucks) and is making a much greater impact on both sides of the ball.
In his last six games, Huff is averaging 12 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 3.3 blocks while shooting 49% from the field and 40% from deep. His spacing has also helped Indiana greatly as the team averaged 111.7 points and shot 36% from beyond the arc during this stretch. It's still not great, but it's a massive improvement for the Pacers compared to the beginning of the season.
As for Jackson, he was solid. He looked athletic and energetic again despite being fresh off an Achilles injury, and he had some good moments (particularly his 21-point, 10-rebound performance against Turner and the Bucks). However, he didn't look like a regular starter for the long term due to his inconsistencies and foul concerns (he already has eight games with four or more fouls).
Fortunately for the Michigan alum, he has looked awesome in his last four games, averaging 10.3 points on 78.9% shooting from the field, 4.8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1.3 blocks. Additionally, his athleticism and energy have only improved, and he is looking much more comfortable in his role.
It remains to be seen whether Huff or Jackson are long-term contributors for the Pacers. But as of now, they are giving the team and fans a much-needed boost of optimism.