The rebounding problem is once again highlighted. Regardless of whether the Pacers can win the championship, this problem needs to be solved in the summer

Although the Pacers reached the finals this year and once led the Thunder 2-1, in the key G4, when they had the opportunity to go to Oklahoma with an absolute lead of 3-1, the team fell out at the last moment and was reversed by the Thunder 12-1. The two sides tied 2-2 in a big score. The defeat in this game actually highlighted the Pacers' current stubbornness again, that is, rebounding franchise protection. In the G4 lost by

, the Pacers only had 33 rebounds in the game, while the Thunder came in 43. The Thunder scored 50 points through the inside offense, but the Pacers only had 36 points. The highest rebounder in the team was Nesmith, who mainly played the striker and guard swinger. He grabbed 9 rebounds, while the starting center Turner only had 2 rebounds in the game. In fact, the Pacers' rebounding has always been a weakness this season. Starting center Turner is actually not good at playing in the No. 5 position, but it is more like an offensive No. 4 position that opens up space. During the regular season, the Pacers averaged only 41.8 rebounds per game, and in the playoffs, they averaged 39.7 rebounds per game, ranking fourth from the bottom among all 16 teams. Once the team's substitute firepower cannot obtain stable output, they will inevitably affect the situation of the game due to the weak inside line.

Regardless of whether the Pacers can win the final championship this year, the team should actively strengthen the No. 5 position this offseason. Now there is a suitable candidate in the free market, that is, the Hawks' previous main center Capela. After Okonggu had snatched his position, Capela has basically faded out of rotation in the Hawks, and his contract just expires this summer. This season, he averaged 8.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his only 21.4 minutes of playing time. Throughout his NBA career, the "Pie King" averaged 12 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. If he can join, the Pacers' inside line will see a significant improvement.

In addition to Capela, Celtic veteran Horford and Warriors substitute inside Looney are also good candidates. However, considering that Horford is 39 years old, the Pacers are most at ease to choose traditional centers who are in their prime. Looney, whose role positioning in the Warriors lineup has declined significantly this season, is indeed a more suitable signing choice than Horford. At the age of 29, he is a "rebound maniac" who focuses on rebounding. Although he averages only 5.7 rebounds per game in his entire career, considering his limited playing time (17.2 minutes per game), if Looney really goes to the Pacers and gets nearly 30 minutes of playing time in each game, his rebounding ability will definitely provide great help to the team.

In short, the Pacers now need a pure center who focuses on defense and outstanding rebounding skills to help Turner relieve the pressure on the inside. If they solve this problem this offseason, the Pacers may be frequent visitors in the finals in the next three years.