Chris Copeland Making Case For Starting Job
By Evan Massey
Oct 12, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA;Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland (22) reacts after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The Indiana Pacers are heading into what is expected to be a very long season, but there was one major bright spot during preseason action. Chris Copeland made his case for the Pacers’ starting small forward job, and he made it with a lot of scoring and a strong shooting display. Indiana will need some scoring help to replace the losses of both Paul George and Lance Stephenson, and Copeland showed that he has the potential to be that guy.
Is it possible that Frank Vogel decides to change the expected lineup to include Copeland’s scoring ability?
Copeland ended up averaging 12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, and was a deadly shooter from behind the arc. Vogel put him into the starting lineup multiple times, but only when injury issues arose. It’s more than likely that Copeland will begin the season coming off of the bench, but he has certainly put something into Vogel’s head with his strong preseason performance.
At this point in time, it appears that Rodney Stuckey will start at shooting guard and C.J. Miles will fill in as the small forward. Both of those players showed quite a few things in the preseason as well, and Copeland will make for a very nice scorer off of the bench.
Ever since Copeland joined the Pacers last offseason, he has been a fan favorite. He brings hard work and great three-point shooting, which is something that the Pacers are going to have to take advantage of this year. The Pacers don’t have a lot of scoring options to choose from, and Copeland might be their best shot maker when they desperately need buckets.
Getting off to quick starts is something that needs to happen this year as well, and Copeland certainly would help that cause. Even though he isn’t the most athletic wing player, he still finds ways to keep moving and get open. Stretching the floor is something that the Pacers will look to do a lot this season, and Copeland will be a major key for that.
Either way, the Pacers are going to be giving Copeland consistent minutes this season after barely playing him at all last year. He’ll have a very important role for this years team, whether that be as a starter or key bench player.