The Indiana Pacers brought in Jay Huff from the Memphis Grizzlies after the shocking departure of Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks during the offseason. And, after a rough start to his career with the Indiana Pacers, the Virginia alum is looking as advertised and playing an important role on the team on both sides of the ball.
In his last seven games, Huff is averaging 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 3.3 blocks. He’s also shooting 50.8% from the field and 41.5% from beyond the arc in that span. Additionally, the 27-year-old currently leads the league with 2.3 blocks per game.
On paper, Huff was the ideal replacement for Turner. They are both stretch players who can protect the rim and run the length of the court. This is essential to the Pacers’ offense, which prioritizes spacing and up-tempo. Not to mention, Huff is two years younger and has a much cheaper contract than the Texas native.
Despite Huff’s emergence, the Pacers are 4-17 this season and just one game ahead of the Washington Wizards, who have the second-worst record in the NBA.
Of course, it’s not Huff’s fault, and Indiana’s record for this season doesn’t mean much anyway. However, it will be a different story next season when the team gets Tyrese Haliburton back and is ready to re-enter the title picture. At this point, the Pacers need to know if they can trust the North Carolina native to start on a championship-caliber team and play winning basketball, or if he’s just a role player at best, and they’ll need to find an upgrade sooner rather than later.
Can the Pacers trust Jay Huff as a long-term starter?
The real answer is maybe. Maybe they can. But there’s reason to think they can, so yes.
Huff has shown both good and bad sides to his game. At worst, he’s a slow big man who doesn’t provide much offensive value when his shot isn’t falling and isn’t a factor on defense outside of his shot blocking (sound familiar?).
But on the other hand, he can really impact the game on both sides of the ball. He can shoot with no problem and is getting better and better as a defensive anchor in Indiana. Huff often helps out on double teams and calls changes and turnovers. He also looks much more versatile and mobile, which is exactly what the Pacers need from him. And head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed it.
“He’s made great strides and he’s a great kid. He’s definitely been a big part of that with his ability to stretch the floor,” Carlisle said of Huff.
The problem is, we still don’t know which version of Huff is the real one. And that’s an important question that he and the Pacers must answer soon.
Huff has shown he can contribute, but can he do it for a full season? Can he do it in the playoffs? Can he do it consistently against the best big men in the league? If he can, then the Pacers have pulled off a steal and may have found their Turner replacement. But if he can’t do it, then it’s back to square one, and Indiana will have to find a replacement for the replacement if it wants to compete for a title again.
It’s a young season, but there’s more reason to believe Huff’s turnaround is legitimate. He looks more comfortable and simply better every game, and it’s clear his teammates trust him. And he fits in without Haliburton, so imagine how much better he should be once the Star Guard returns.
Huff needed an opportunity, and now that he’s had it, he’s making the most of it. And if he can continue on this trajectory, then he could find himself as the starting center in the NBA Finals sooner rather than later.
