Moves add to Pacers’ depth

The winds of change can’t seem to avoid sweeping through the hallways of Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

While not strong enough to unsettle the slicked-back hair of Indiana Pacers president Donnie Walsh, the team’s efforts to scale another couple rungs up the NBA’s oft-changing relevance ladder should be commended.

Working deals to acquire Ian Mahinmi, Gerald Green and D.J. Augustin, the Pacers addressed pressing needs regarding depth at the center, swingman and point guard positions, respectively.

Add these components to recent draft selections Miles Plumlee and Orlando Johnson, and Indiana’s second five has the potential to be among the league’s best in 2012-13.

I especially like the addition of Green, the high-skying 6-foot-8 wing whose contributions of a year ago — 12.9 points and 3.5 rebounds a game — flew as far under the radar as professional basketball allows, thanks to him being a New Jersey/Brooklyn/Lower Newark Net.

Though well-traveled (Indy is Green’s sixth NBA stop), he appears to be an ideal choice to back up Danny Granger at the ‘3’ spot. Green’s got range, serious hops (he won the 2008 Slam Dunk Contest) and likely a backboard-sized chip on his shoulder given all the stops he’s made since being drafted by Boston in 2005.

Augustin is an upgrade, particularly offensively, over the departed Darren Collison when it comes to spelling Indiana point guard George Hill.

This story appears in the print edition of Daily Journal. Subscribers can read the entire story online by signing in here or in our e-Edition by clicking here.