The 1978–79 Indiana Pacers featured a balanced backcourt led by Johnny Davis and Ricky Sobers, who combined scoring with playmaking to drive the offence. Billy Knight supplied additional scoring, while Tom Owens anchored the interior with strong rebounding and efficient finishing. Indiana relied on balanced offensive production and solid ball movement, but only middling defensive results and overall efficiency prevented the team from posting a winning record.
Lead point guard responsible for orchestrating offense, high assist numbers reflect playmaking role; aggressive scorer with ability to finish in traffic.
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Ricky Sobers
Two-Way Guard / Secondary Scorer
34.9
High
17.3
3.7
5.6
2.0
14.3
Versatile shooting guard, strong defensive contributions (steals) and playmaking, capable of scoring efficiently.
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James Edwards
Primary Center / Interior Anchor
31.0
High-Medium
16.7
8.5
1.1
2.0
14.15
Center with solid inside scoring and rebounding; contributed defensively in rim protection and boxing out.
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Alex English
Forward Scorer / Secondary Option
33.3
Medium
16.0
8.1
3.3
1.9
14.65
Emerging scorer with smooth offensive skills; versatile forward contributing across points, rebounds, and assists.
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Mike Bantom
Complementary Forward
31.2
Medium
14.7
8.0
2.8
2.0
13.75
Reliable forward providing scoring and rebounding; a secondary playmaker in frontcourt rotations.
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Billy Knight
Wing Scorer / Situational Role
25.0
Medium-Low
14.7
4.5
2.2
0.9
11.15
High-efficiency scoring wing, mostly utilized in offensive sets; limited defensive role due to lower STK numbers.
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Rick Robey
Backup Center / Role Big
19.7
Low-Medium
8.6
5.9
1.2
0.9
8.3
Provided depth in the frontcourt; efficient scoring in limited minutes and contributed on boards.
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Corky Calhoun
Reserve Forward
16.4
Low
4.7
2.9
1.3
0.7
4.85
Bench forward mainly for spot minutes; limited offensive and defensive contributions.
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Len Elmore
Backup Center / Energy Role
15.8
Low
4.2
5.0
0.9
1.8
5.95
Provided defensive intensity and rebounding off the bench; scoring limited.
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Kevin Stacom
Bench Guard / Spot Shooter
13.0
Low
4.2
1.4
1.8
0.3
3.85
Limited minutes as reserve guard; contributed with perimeter shooting and occasional playmaking.
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Wayne Radford
Reserve Guard
12.5
Low
3.9
1.3
1.1
0.6
3.35
Played primarily as reserve guard; limited offensive and defensive impact.
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Brad Davis
Reserve PG / Spot Minutes
10.6
Low
2.7
0.7
2.0
0.7
2.05
Backup point guard; mainly contributed in garbage-time minutes with some floor management.
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Steve Green
Bench Forward
6.8
Low
2.7
1.3
0.5
0.4
2.45
Minimal minutes; occasional scoring and spot defense as reserve small forward.