Myles Turner, Jordan Hill Will Help Indiana Pacers Move Past Roy Hibbert Era

The Indiana Pacers could have stood relatively pat this summer, chalking up last season's playoff miss and 38 wins to Paul George's absence and taking a conservative approach to the offseason. President Larry Bird had all of the excuses he needed.

But he didn't use them. He opted to go in a different direction, agreeing to terms with shooting guard Monta Ellis, drafting big man Myles Turner out of Texas and trading longtime center Roy Hibbert to the Los Angeles Lakers. On Thursday, the organization obtained Hibbert's replacement: former Lakers center Jordan Hill.

The news was reported by the Sporting News' Sean Deveney and confirmed by the Indianapolis Star's Candace Buckner.

Ellis' addition will complete a fairly potent backcourt with point guard George Hill, but the looming question has been who the Pacers would deploy at the center position. Aside from reserve Ian Mahinmi, the only under-contract big men were Turner and Lavoy Allen. The Pacers needed another big body, particularly with both David West and Luis Scola defecting via free agency.

A front line composed of Hill and Turner is a bit of a project, but it may be more consistent with Indiana's vision for the future—a future that never fit the lumbering Hibbert. Head coach Frank Vogel is looking to quicken the pace, and Bird believes swingman Paul George can play the 4 in smaller lineups.

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"He'll play a lot of power forward and small forward," Bird said of George during an NBA TV summer league broadcast, according to the Indianapolis Star's Nat Newell. "I'm the one who thinks he can play the 4. I think the mismatches on the offensive end are greater than the defensive liability he'll have. I think he can handle it."

Even so, the additions of Hill and Turner matter. The Pacers may want to run, but they do not want to subject George to body-banging with larger adversaries. So it's crucial that Hill and Turner are both solid athletes capable of moving in transition. They're also floor-spacers to some degree. Hill expanded his range with the Lakers last season, and Turner is doing all sorts of good stuff so far at the NBA Summer League.

Here's how CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie described the 7-footer's recent performances:

"

Well, if Summer League is any indication, it looks like the Pacers might have gotten lucky and hit a "boom" with the No. 11 overall pick. Turner has been one of the most impressive rookies in Orlando, showing a more diverse game than we ever got a chance to see from him in college.

"

Vecenie cites three-point range and rim protection as particularly impressive traits, two-way perks that will win Turner plenty of time at the 5 spot. Like Hill, Turner can also run the floor and finish above the rim. If it's tempo that Indiana wants, that's what it'll get. 

Last season's statistical output offers a hint of what to expect.

	Games	Min	Pts	FG%	Reb	Blk
Hill	70	26.8	12.0	.459	7.9	0.7
Turner	34	22.2	10.1	.455	6.5	2.6

In Hill's case, there's also veteran pedigree that will likely earn him the starting spot. He's been particularly active in his last two seasons with the Lakers, showing signs of the potential that earned him the No. 8 overall selection in 2009. Hill's player efficiency rating was 16.2 last season and 19.3 the year before that. He uses his size and strength well, and he could certainly prove a deserving starter.

Turner is a less-known quantity, but the early returns are encouraging. He may even replace Hill at some point in time, but Indiana likely values the latter's experience. The rookie should see plenty of minutes, but there's no need to rush his development with Hill now around.

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The Pacers have gotten younger at center, assuring a different—if not better—look for the club up front. Hibbert may have been a two-time All-Star, but he slowed down a half-court offense that already struggled to score points and create tempo. 

"I was talking to coach earlier; we'd like to play a little faster tempo," Bird told reporters in April, per Buckner. "And that means we've got to run a little faster, maybe at times play a little smaller. We just got into it, so I don't know what style, but we'd like to change it a little bit... But I would like to score more points, and to do that, you've got to run."

That's where Hill and Turner figure nicely at center. They lack some of Hibbert's polish in the low post, but they're physically gifted and well suited to today's predominant style of play. From that perspective, this summer has been a success for Bird and Co.

They snagged a shooting guard who can create offense, and they rebuilt a front line that's better equipped to play in the Pacers' new system. Losing Hibbert, West and Scola hurts in terms of sheer talent, but it may be for the best. Indiana wasn't generating enough offense as it was formerly constituted. Now it has a fighting chance.

George's return will be paramount in that regard. The superstar forward only played in six games last season after returning from a horrific broken leg suffered over the summer. He's the heart and soul of this operation, and Indiana's ceiling is inextricably linked to just how well George bounces back.

The new big men will play supporting roles to be sure. There's little hope that either Hill or Turner will be a takeover-type player, not this season. But some range, rebounding and efficiency would go a long way for the tandem.

Whether the Hill-Turner duo endures the test of time remains to be seen, but it should do for the season ahead. For a franchise in semi-flux, that's probably good enough.