Tyreke Evans (photo. Sasha Nialla)

Whether you believe Tyreke Evans is a true point guard or not (he’s not), last night was a textbook example of exactly why Sacramento drafted him to play the point.

On his way to dropping 26 points in a win over the Pacers, Tyreke scored the Kings’ first 10 points, and it was obvious the game plan going in was to get Tyreke off early. He used his height to shoot over T.J. Ford and Earl Watson; his strength and handle to easily drive past them; and his length to catch the ball near the rim on cuts and post-ups and get easy buckets.

But this isn’t about Tyreke. This is about the Pacers. While their early season record isn’t that bad (6-10), the same issues that plagued Indiana last year are resurfacing, making a run at the playoffs this year seem even less likely now that the East is stronger. They’re blowing leads in the second half, committing too many turnovers, and giving up too much on defense (103 ppg). Before Tyreke had his way with the Pacers last night, Monta Ellis torched them for 45 points earlier this week.

It’s not breaking news that point guard is a weak spot with the Pacers. Ford has been widely criticized for his decision-making on offense, but lately, defense has been the more glaring issue. Six-foot Ford and 6-1 Watson (both might be generous listings) simply don’t have the height to deal with a PG like Tyreke, and although Ford is noted for his speed, he had problems catching up with Monta’s relentless attack. For the next step in the franchise’s rebuilding, the plan next summer should be to get a point guard. And this time around, size matters.

That said, options are limited. While the 2010 free agent class includes Ray Felton, Will Bynum and Kyle Lowry, the Pacers don’t have a lot of money under the cap: Mike Dunleavy’s $10.5 million is a killer, Ford has an $8.5M player option he’ll no doubt exercise, and Indiana would still be paying Jamaal Tinsley $5.5 mill. Plus the Draft won’t be as heavy on point guards like it was last year — you know, when the Pacers could have had Ty Lawson, Eric Maynor, Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague, Darren Collison, Toney Douglas or Marcus Thornton, but took Tyler Hansbrough when they already had a double-double PF in Troy Murphy.

My advice? Put your hands together and pray for a chance to get Evan Turner. If Indiana gets a Top-10 pick, they should be in the wheelhouse for the Ohio State junior. At 6-foot-6, Turner plays everywhere on the court for the Buckeyes and already has two triple-doubles this season. He’s more of a natural wing, but he has the skill set to develop into an NBA point guard.

Most importantly, Turner is a solid defender. It’s not like Indiana coach Jim O’Brien has a systematic flaw in his defense; when he was in Boston, his Eastern Conference Finals squad was 9th in the League in defense. Before Indiana, O’Brien hadn’t coached a team that gave up 100 ppg. He just needs some talented defenders. Last summer’s big free agent pickup, Dahntay Jones, was a good start, and Roy Hibbert has potential as a shot-blocking interior anchor once he learns to stay out of foul trouble.

If the Pacers can add a guy with lock-down capability (or as much as you can lock down a PG in today’s League), they’d be on their way to doing something big. Scoring point guards with Tyreke’s size and skill aren’t going to come around every year, but at least Indiana can get somebody who can help stop the Tyrekes of the world.