The 2015-16 season was one of marked improvement for Mahinmi, will his numbers as a starter keep him in Indiana? Or, will Larry Bird's vision bring change?
Ian Mahinmi only earned three of 130 third-place votes for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award, but there is little doubt he would win a fictitious Most Improved Pacer award by a landslide.
The career back-up turned starter averaged career-highs in points (9.3), rebounds (7.1), and blocks (1.1) during the 2015-16 regular season.
After serving as Roy Hibbert's understudy for three seasons, the fourth-year Pacer proved he could anchor a defense as well as his once highly esteemed predecessor.