After rash of big-man injuries, Pacers' pivot helped them make NBA Finals

When two of their backup centers suffered Achilles tendon tears in the first nine days of the season, the Indiana Pacers were left with some very thin front court depth. The way they pivoted helped them reach the NBA Finals.

On opening night, former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman had six points in four minutes before he went down with a non-contact injury that put him out for the season. Fourth-year center Isaiah Jackson replaced Wiseman as the team's backup center, then suffered his own Achilles tear in his fifth game.

The carnage at the center position was a big reason for Indiana starting the season 9-14, disguising how good of a team it had. After a short experiment with Moses Brown at backup center, the Pacers traded for Thomas Bryant from the Miami Heat on Dec. 15. The deal only cost them a second-round pick swap in 2031, and Bryant stabilized the position. Since adding Bryant, the Pacers have gone 50-21.

Bryant worked for Indiana because he was able to be a poor man's version of Myles Turner. He's not the shooter that Turner is, but Bryant hit 44% of his three-point shots in 2022-23. That meant the Pacers didn't have to dramatically alter their styler of play when Turner sat. 

Even if Bryant's most famous NBA moment came when he was captured calling for the ball when LeBron James broke the all-time scoring record, he is a solid backup.