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Player Review 2015: Shayne Whittington

Age: 24
Years Pro: 1
Status: Has qualifying offer for 2015-16
Key Stats: Appeared in 20 games, averaging 2.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in 5.4 minutes per contest.

Shayne Whittington knew he wasn't going to play a major role for the 2014-15 Indiana Pacers. An undrafted rookie out of Western Michigan, Whittington was the sixth big man on the Pacers' depth chart.

Just making an NBA roster was a great success story for the Paw Paw, Mich. native, especially after he broke the fibula in his left leg during a predraft workout on May 8. Whittington's stock was on the rise after he displayed an impressive shooting stroke at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament a few days earlier, but his injury spoiled any chances of him hearing his name called on draft night.

Still, the Pacers' scouts saw enough promise to sign Whittington to a non-guaranteed contract a few days after the draft. Though his injury prevented him from participating in Summer League, the 6-foot-11 forward/center put in lots of hard work in the gym to get back on the floor as quickly as possible.

Whittington's dedication paid off, as he was cleared for game action in time for the first preseason contest. The rookie played 21 minutes against Minnesota just under five months after breaking his leg, scoring 11 points and going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field.

The rookie wound up making the team and sticking around for the entire season, but his role was limited in the regular season. While injuries ravaged the Pacers' depth on the wing, Indiana's bigs were (relatively) healthy. David West missed the first 15 games of the year with a sprained ankle and Ian Mahinmi later missed a month with a torn plantar fascia, but otherwise the frontcourt remained largely intact.

Still, Whittington was the consummate professional. He seemed eager to soak up whatever advice he could get from his more veteran teammates. He was always engaged with the game and his teammates on the bench during games. He respectfully handled his "rookie duties," whether that meant fetching water for a teammate during practice or sporting a Hello Kitty backpack during a road trip.

And while his playing time was minimal, Whittington proved to be a capable performer when he did get on the court. He was always active and displayed good athleticism for a player of his size. He was perhaps better than expected on the offensive end. In his biggest playing time of the year, a five-game stretch from Feb. 4-11, he averaged 4.4 points and two rebounds in 7.4 minutes per game, going 8-for-17 from the field.

Though he displayed an ability to step out beyond the 3-point line in practice, Whittington only took six triples on the year and only connected on one of them.

The next step in Whittington's evolution will be learning to defend without fouling. He committed 18 fouls in just 108 total minutes, an average of one every six minutes.

Moving forward, both Pacers president Larry Bird and head coach Frank Vogel expressed belief that Whittington will play a significant role on next year's team. Bird and Vogel envision the team playing at a faster pace, and Whittington figures to be the right type of player to fit that style with his quickness and ability to stretch the floor.

Provided he keeps working hard in the gym and fine-tuning his shot, it doesn't seem at all unreasonable to see Shayne Whittington turning into a valuable asset for the Pacers next year and beyond.

Editor's Note: Roy Hibbert, Rodney Stuckey, and Shayne Whittington were not available for season review interviews due to scheduling conflicts.