Could Lavoy Allen Be Vital To The Pacers’ Future?

Could Indiana Pacers’ power forward Lavoy Allen be vital to the franchise’s future?

The Indiana Pacers have started off fairly well so far this season given all of the injuries that they have faced, and Lavoy Allen has been one of the major bright spots to this point. He was re-signed this past offseason after Larry Bird liked what he saw from him in the few games that he played after being acquired in the Danny Granger for Evan Turner trade, and he has gotten quite a few minutes early on this year due to the injuries.

David West is currently the Pacers’ obvious starting power forward, but he isn’t getting any younger and only has a couple of years left on his contract. He has also admitted that he considered retirement this past offseason after the Pacers lost both Lance Stephenson to free agency and Paul George to a gruesome leg injury.

Could Allen possibly be vital to the Pacers’ future plans as the replacement for West at the power forward position?

Allen has averaged 7.2 points and 7.4 rebounds so far this season coming off of the bench behind Luis Scola, and has been extremely consistent. The Pacers have had him on the court to help close out multiple games, and they will continue doing so until West returns to the lineup. He has provided the Pacers with a legitimate scoring option, toughness, and great rebounding as his numbers prove.

At just 25 years of age, the future is extremely bright for Allen in Indiana with the way that he has played thus far. Frank Vogel has liked what he has seen, and that is always a good sign for a young player in the Pacers’ organization. It will be intriguing to see what type of playing time he has when West does return to the lineup.

There is no denying that the Pacers have a very talented big man in Allen, and it is obvious that he has learned from watching West. His post game looks eerily similar to West’s, and he has developed a very consistent mid-range jumper.

It’s hard to talk about a replacement for West with all that he has meant to the franchise, but there is no question that the time for finding a replacement isn’t too far off. Allen is a perfect fit in the Pacers’ system, and his game is still improving and developing. He is young enough to be a long-term option for Indiana if they choose to go with him, and he has a good enough work ethic to continue improving his game.

All of that being said, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Allen be a huge piece for the Pacers in the future. He has the talent to become a starting power forward, and the way that he fits the Pacers’ system makes him a legitimate candidate. The Pacers haven’t had a lot to be happy about this season, but the play and development from Allen is a bright spot to say the least.