Spurs Backcourt Faces Tall Task vs. Pacers
The San Antonio Spurs visit the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday night as both clubs get set for their second game of the new season.
Both teams are coming off season-opening losses and will be looking to right the ship.
The Pacers are filled to the brim with young and veteran talent in their backcourt. The unit already showed its color in a season-opening loss to the Washington Wizards. And as they prepare for a second straight game without elite rim-protecting and stretch-big center Myles Turner, the Pacers will look to deploy an impressive set of guards against San Antonio.
Tyrese Haliburton
Haliburton is now the cornerstone of the franchise after arriving from the Sacramento Kings via trade last season. A do-it-all guard with sound passing and defensive instincts, he'll be the toughest out for the Spurs on Friday.
He led the Pacers with 26 points and seven assists on Wednesday and is coming off a season where he where he was tied for third in the league in steals per game (1.7).
From timely passing, to lock-down defense, and a productive yet unorthodox 3-point release, Haliburton is no doubt the player the Spurs must stop if they want to pick up a win against the Pacers.
Buddy Hield
One of the most underrated shooters in the league, Hield's quick release off the catch and off the dribble combined with range a few feet behind the arc makes him a flamethrower-like weapon for the Pacers against a Spurs defense that allowed the Hornets to hit 13 of 29 (44.8) percent from deep on Wednesday.
Hield went 4 of 11 from deep against Washington, totaling 16 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Leaving him with space to unload could spell another loss for the Spurs.
Bennedict Mathurin
Mathurin wasted little time showing the kind of player he's capable of blossoming into during his NBA debut on Wednesday. A gifted athlete with impressive feel, he came off the bench for coach Rick Carlisle and played 28 minutes against the Wizards, posting the second-highest scoring mark for the Pacers with 19 points and seven rebounds.
As a scoring outlet off the bench, his presence can't be overlooked one Haliburton and Hield take a seat. Look for Mathurin's matchup with Josh Primo to be an interesting battle of two top-12 draft picks.
Chris Duarte
Duarte got off to a hot start as a rookie last season, reaching double figures in his first nine NBA appearances.
His sophomore debut was the exact opposite, as he posted just five points against the Wizards. But Duarte is a proven one-on-one scorer who can hit toughly-contested shots and is capable from deep. He averaged 13.1 points last season and is another backcourt talent for the Spurs to worry about off the bench on Friday.
TJ McConnell
McConnell is the lifeblood of the Indiana bench and will look to play the role of pest against the Spurs. In the 2020-21 season, he was second in the league with 1.9 steals, using quick reactions and defensive instincts to jump passing lanes or poke the ball from behind to creat turnovers going the other way.
The Spurs had 15 turnovers against Charlotte. If they're not careful, McConnell could create similar problems for Jones, Primo and co.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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