NBA Rumors: Best free agent every team in Central Division should target
By Matt Sidney
Indiana Pacers: Justise Winslow, G/F
The Indiana Pacers score the most points per game in the NBA, and they damn well nearly give up the most points per game as well. It's no surprise then that they are also dead last in the NBA in regards to their opponent's field goal percentage (50.9) and 3-point percentage (39.8). Take a minute to take those numbers in... when you play the Pacers, more than HALF of the shots you take will go in the hoop.
I wouldn't be surprised if you pulled me to the side and said, "Hey Matt, they must be far out of the playoff picture with these, 'Chicken-n-Beer,' ludicrous defensive stats." And my friends, you'd be wrong. Their offense is a wagon. This makes our choice pretty fair, pretty impartial, pretty Justise. Winslow. A 5-position defender, Winslow is the right choice for the Pacers. He is crazy athletic, strong, and plays smart.
While he won't blaze the net off the rim, he will more than likely prevent it from happening on the defensive side of the court. Winslow has the mass, 225 lbs, and the length, 6-foot-10 wingspan, to offer multi-positional defensive efforts. In nine seasons, he has sported a positive defensive box plus/minus seven times. He is the consummate professional and seems like an awesome teammate. "The glue guy" seems like too insufficient a title for Chief Justise.
When he's on the court he does everything asked of him, run point on offense, bang down low on the block on defense, guard the opponent's toughest perimeter player. Indiana sure could use someone of Winslow's stature. Their defense can't get much worse.