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Chris Copeland was a very important piece of the Indiana Pacers early on in the 2014-15 season, and he was actually the team’s leading scorer for a good chunk of that time period. He developed as an all-around scorer while still being deadly from beyond the three-point arc. There are quite a few fans and analysts that don’t expect Copeland to be back in Indiana next year, but they should bring him back to help in their new up-tempo offense.
Larry Bird made it very clear following the season that the Pacers wanted to play a faster offensive tempo in the 2015-16 season. He said that Paul George would be playing some power forward, which brings up a place for Copeland to earn some minutes.
During the 2014-15 season with the Pacers, Copeland ended up averaging 6.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He shot just 36.1 percent from the field overall and 31.1 percent from beyond the three-point arc, but those numbers are a product of inconsistent playing time for the majority of the season. Copeland averaged 12.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game during the month of November, while shooting 36.4 percent from behind the three-point line.
Bringing him back for one more season would keep some perimeter shooting on the bench. Copeland was viewed as a stretch power forward when he was first signed by the Pacers, and that is exactly how they could use him in the new offense that they are hoping to implement.
At 31 years old, Copeland still has quite a bit of good basketball left in him. If the Pacers do decide to move on without him, he will have no trouble finding a job with another team. Indiana could also choose to bring him back and give him consistent minutes at the power forward position off the bench as a deadly three-point threat.
Consistent playing time is key for any perimeter shooter, and it is something that Copeland was originally promised when Indiana signed him. They have not followed through on that commitment, which has been very disappointing for Copeland. Despite the disappointment, he has remained ready whenever Frank Vogel has called his name and has made a difference when given minutes.
It may not seem like he could be a big role player for a championship contender, but shooting is something that the Pacers could definitely use more of next year.
Needless to say, it will be very interesting to see what Bird and the Pacers decide to do with Copeland. There is still a good chance that he will end up being let go, but it would be a big mistake for the Pacers to do that. He has shown in limited minutes that he is a capable scorer who could really help in certain situations next year.
Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com, and contributes across the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.
