Indiana Pacers Should Consider Perimeter in Draft

While the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors focus on winning this year’s championship, the Indiana Pacers just trying to get back to the playoffs. The easiest way they can improve this offseason comes on June 25 when NBA Draft.

Of all the lottery teams, Indiana — along with the Oklahoma City Thunder — are in this position solely due to injuries. They have a core capable of winning and were held back last season by Paul George and George Hill missing games (76 and 39 games missed, respectively).

Adding a lottery talent to that core could bring postseason success for years to come, but Indiana now has problems that they have yet to deal with during the Frank Vogel era.

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That would be age (David West) and fit (Roy Hibbert).

West has been the heart and soul of this team since he arrived, but he will be 35 years old when he starts what could be his final season before retirement.

Hibbert, too, has been huge for this team — literally. Miami always got the best of Indiana, but Hibbert’s presence in the paint caused huge problems for the undersized Heat. Those days are gone, though, and Hibbert isn’t the ascending post player that he was in the last few postseasons.

So unlike years past, the big man duo will no longer be the focal point of this team. Larry Bird and Vogel want to change the team’s style of offense, from the slow, half court sets to the faster, pace-and-space style that so many successful teams around the league have adopted.

Introducing this change could be seen as catch-up with the rest of the league, as Indiana’s offense has never been anything to brag about, and Bird’s emphasis on how reduced Hibbert’s role would be if he stayed shows he would clearly prefer Big Roy to opt out of his deal this summer and look for a new team.

The worry isn’t so much about West as it is Hibbert, but Bird believes both will opt-in, while neither have made their decisions known at this point.

If they do both return, it will be for only one season, so drafting a big man seems logical. And having front-court depth would allow the Pacers to pick someone that might need some time to grow before being starter-ready.

This doesn’t necessarily mean they have to draft big, however.

And one wing they could consider is Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker.

Booker could be one of the league’s next best shooters. He has that clean, smooth, silky stroke that reminds me of Klay Thompson. Along with that, Booker has two other good qualities that have nothing to do with his skill: size and age. At 6’6″, 206 pounds, Booker has great size for an NBA shooting guard and has plenty of time to beef up as he won’t turn 19 until October 30.

Booker doesn’t project to be the best defender, but he is a low-risk player as he doesn’t turn the ball over very often. He also has high-level cutting ability, and would help the pace-and-space offense flow with his transition offense and strong passing. If Larry Bird wants more shooting and movement, Booker fits the bill.

Indiana would be sacrificing some defense for offense with Booker, but that might not be a problem with their hopes to improve offensively. Booker does have time to become a better defender, but if he does turn out how he projects, Vogel can always hide him whenever he’s on the floor with Hill, George, and Solomon Hill.

Another good option would be Murray State point guard Cameron Payne.

One of Indiana’s biggest issues over the past few seasons has been allowing opposing guards to go all-out against them, especially when George Hill wasn’t on the floor. Payne has the tools to be a very good defender in the league, and having both Hill and Payne play together alongside Paul George at times in a two-point lineup could be one make for one of the best defensive trios in the NBA.

Hill is coming off of a breakout season, and we already know what George can bring on offense. Payne fits right in with his excellent ball-handling, natural scoring ability, slashing, and passing.

Payne and Booker differ completely in their shooting mechanics, as Booker shoots high as players should be taught, whereas Payne releases the ball low and pushes shots at times, making him a somewhat streaky shooter. He has so many other good qualities, however, and playing in a limited role off the bench will make that stuff harder to notice anyway.

While there will be good big men available at 11, these two talents might just be too good to pass up. Having the draft before free agency and the deadline to opt-in or out of contracts makes Bird and company’s decision come June 25 harder.

Next: Larry Bird Says Cauley-Stein Is $100 Million Player

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