These are the players who have started for the Pacers this year, and how many starts out of the 11 games so far they’ve gotten.

Brogdon - 11
Warren - 11
Sabonis - 9
Lamb - 5
Sampson - 5
Turner - 4
A Holiday - 4
Goga - 2
Sumner - 2
Leaf - 1

Only 2 guys (Brogdon and Warren) have started every game. Only 3 (add Domas) have started more than HALF the games.

JaKarr Sampson has already started more NBA games than he played last year. Lamb replaced Oladipo, then got hurt. Sumner replaced Lamb, then got hurt.

TJ Leaf has started at 4 and been a backup 5. Goga Bitadze - he of 1 preseason game - started twice and has been the only available center at times. 6’0” Aaron Holiday is the starting 2 guard right now. The Pacers has 10 active players plus their 2 way guys tonight

Turner, Sumner, Goga, Oladipo, and Lamb were all in street clothes tonight. A starting lineup of Dipo/Sumner/Lamb/Turner/Goga would be an interesting team. Those guys were all out for a team that just beat OKC like the Thunder owed them money.

The first 11 on the schedule have been easy. That should not be ignored at all. That the Pacers are beating these teams with the guys they’re having to start and play shouldn’t be ignored either. Harden and Giannis are up next, the cake walk is over

This Pacers squad has to feel good about the wins they’ve banked and who they’ve done it with, though. I wasn’t sure this team would be 7-4 after 11 even if fully healthy (besides Oladipo). It takes time for new guys to gel, and the Pacers have a ton of new faces.

Maybe all this means nothing. Maybe guys like TJMC/Sampson/Justin Holiday/Goga all return to playing like they belong at the end of the bench. It’s been both fun and impressive thus far though.