The Noblesville Boom are about to tip off their season, and the roster is loaded with names worth tracking closely. For all the talk that the G League is just a step down, the Pacers’ own pipeline keeps proving otherwise.
Players who came through that lane are scattered across the NBA, from Ivica Zubac with the South Bay Lakers to Pascal Siakam’s run with the Toronto 905. Even Andrew Nembhard got his first opportunities with, you guessed it, the Noblesville Boom.
That’s why this group matters. Indiana’s injury situation has pushed its two-way players into heavier NBA minutes than anyone expected this early, but that probably won’t hold all year. Jalen Slawson, Kobe Brown and Braden Smith should spend most of the season getting reps with the Boom, with the occasional call-up for spot starts and short stretches with the Pacers.
The biggest names in Noblesville are the two-way trio, and last season showed how much opportunity can flow through this setup. Taelon Peter and Ethan Thompson both had plenty of runway, and Thompson put up 27 points per game. Even so, it was Jalen Slawson who ultimately broke through and earned NBA minutes.
Brown arrived in the Zubac trade and has spent most of his time with the Pacers rather than the Boom, though that may change. With Indiana short on healthy bodies, he’s been used more at the NBA level so far, but the expectation is that he’ll get more chances to score and serve as a secondary initiator once he’s back in the G League mix.
Then there’s Braden Smith, the hometown kid and easily the most intriguing watch in the building. Amazingly, he has already started two NBA games, and he’s looked sharp filling in for TJ McConnell and Tyrese Haliburton as Indiana’s guard rotation has been battered. With the Boom, he should be running the offense.
There are other names to keep in mind, too. Dakota Mattias would have been a useful prospect to retain, but he has gone overseas. RJ Felton brought energy off the bench and could be headed for a bigger role this season as well.
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