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8p9s Roundtable: Best and Worst Draft Picks in Pacers History

By 8 Points, 9 Seconds Staff, 8 Points, 9 Seconds Staff

January 20, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Pacers defeated the Warriors 102-94. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 20, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Pacers defeated the Warriors 102-94. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Indiana Pacers draft rumor
Feb 19, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson (1) against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Timberwolves defeated the Pacers 104-91. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Which Indiana Pacers draft selection have you been most wrong about?

Donahue: Truth be told, I’ve been wrong about all of them — to one degree or another. I thought Wayman Tisdale could be a scoring machine. I thought Brandon Rush could be a long-term starter. I thought George McCloud could make layups. Paul George, Reggie Miller, Dale Davis, and Roy Hibbert were all better than I thought they would be. McCloud, Erick Dampier, Shawne Williams, and Wayman Tisdale were all worse. Probably the biggest misjudgment, however, was on Lance Stephenson (#40 in 2010), for whom I had zero expectations. He did little over his first two seasons to show that he belonged in the league, but when he finally clicked — however briefly — he was vital to some of the best Pacer basketball in their NBA history.

I could go back into my Facebook ether and find a scathing review of Larry Bird for drafting this random dude out of Fresno State when XAVIER HENRY WAS AVAILABLE. I’ll just let everyone read that last sentence again.

Ochoa: I was right about the development of Lance Stephenson, but WAY wrong about his decision to part ways with the Pacers. Yes, I know there is a lot that goes into that whole situation, but I thought Lance would ride or die for Mr. Bird. I followed Lance when he was in high school, loved him at Cincy, and defended him every chance I got as a Pacers player. I thought for sure he’d grow old in the blue and gold, but I misjudged the situation, apparently. I hope he kills it in Los Angeles.

Washburn: Paul George, no question. If I had the time or desire, I could go back into my Facebook ether and find a scathing review of Larry Bird, written by me, ripping the organization for drafting this random dude out of Fresno State when XAVIER HENRY WAS AVAILABLE. I’ll just let everyone read that last sentence again rather than pontificating anymore. Hard to be more wrong than that.

Wade: Brandon Rush. I thought he was going to be a top-notch starter in the NBA for a decade — at worst. He seemed like such an intelligent, well-rounded player who could become a 3&D juggernaut at the pro level. And given his athleticism and ability to finish on the break, I expected him to thrive even more once he left the confining style of play in the college ranks. Whoops.

Next: The Legend or The Don?

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