1. Who is the best pick in Indiana Pacers draft history?
Tim Donahue: Well, Reggie, of course. Simply too foundational to the Indiana Pacer NBA franchise to have any real competition. In the non-Reggie division? It really depends on what you mean by “best.” Paul George (#10 in 2010) will probably become the best player the Pacers drafted. Chuck Person (#4 in 1986) was a great against-the-grain pick by Donnie Walsh, helping the Pacers move beyond the disastrous early ’80s. Antonio Davis (#45 in 1990) was probably the best value pick made by the Pacer front office.
And with the 11th pick of the 1987 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers select Reggie Miller; University of California, Los Angeles. BOOM BABY!
Justin Ochoa: And with the 11th pick of the 1987 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers select Reggie Miller; University of California, Los Angeles. BOOM BABY! Reggie Miller is the greatest Pacers draft pick of all-time, without question. All I knew was Miller Time growing up as a young Pacers fan in Indianapolis and he’s still one of my favorite players in league history. Reggie, in my opinion, is still the face of the Indiana Pacers organization. If I felt like trolling today, I could make a legit case that Fred “The Mayor” Hoiberg and my main man, Austin Croshere, are tied for #2. Gotta love those guys, but we all know Paul George is the only person who can give Reggie a run for his money right now
Jon Washburn: This will wildly fluctuate depending upon how one defines “best,” but assuming we all agree that Reggie Miller is the obvious answer, I’m gonna go with Danny Granger. It’s easy to look at Granger’s career right now and feel a little lukewarm about it, but Larry Bird got a top-five talent with the 17th pick in the draft. Unfortunately, Granger was stuck on super mediocre teams for most of his time in Indiana, but he was the consummate professional, battling every night no matter how low the stakes were. It’s too bad his knees started acting up once the Pacers finally became contenders. Granger probably won’t go down as one of the most beloved Pacers in franchise history, but he probably should.
Jared Wade: Paul George. The kid is a beast — and Indiana got him 10th. If he recovers fully, he could be the best player in that draft, and at worst he will be third behind only John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. No one player, aside from Reggie Miller, has had the turnaround impact that George has already had in his short tenure in Naptown. Let’s just hope that leg gets back to full strength soon.
Next: Worst Pick Ever?
2. Who is the worst pick in Indiana Pacers draft history?
Donahue: The Pacers took Fred Jones 14th in 2002. Reportedly, everyone in the Pacer draft room wanted Tayshaun Prince. Donnie Walsh, for reasons beyond understanding, let then-coach Isiah Thomas make the call, and Zeke took Jones. The University of Oregon product had been an undersized shooting guard without a reliable shot, and most of the buzz around him on draft day was that the was going to fall out of the first round. He did not. Nor did he have the career that Prince had — and I find it incredibly unlikely that he could get a chase down block on Reggie Miller.
The Pacers took Fred Jones 14th in 2002. Reportedly, everyone in the Pacer draft room wanted Tayshaun Prince. Donnie Walsh, for reasons beyond understanding, let then-coach Isiah Thomas make the call, and Zeke took Jones.
Ochoa: David Harrison is the worst Indiana Pacers draft pick of all time. He went from McDonald’s All-American to McDonald’s employee real quick. Seriously. I hate that he fell on tough times, and I hope he finds a way to bounce back. But he’s by far the worst draft pick I can think of.
Washburn: Am I allowed to go with the Kawhi Leonard vote here? No? All right, I’ll vote instead for Eric Piatkowski. Other guys were bigger busts because of injuries and such, but this dude was just flat not a good basketball player. I also feel compelled to mention Tyler Hansbrough here, just because he made me grind my teeth for every second he was on the floor during his entire Pacers career.
Wade: Tyler Hansbrough. The 2008-09 Pacers were coming off a season in which they had a T.J. Ford/Jarrett Jack timeshare at the point. Neither seemed like a long-term solution in the post-Jamaal Tinsley era, and the guy who emerged as the starter in midseason, Jack, was a free agent that a cheap Indiana front office knew it might lose to a bigger offer. They NEEDED a point guard. Desperately. And the 2009 Draft was chock full of blue chippers. Yet, instead of taking Jeff Teague, Ty Lawson, Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison or March Madness breakout start Eric Maynor, they took Tyler Hansbrough, a collegiate star who everyone with a TV set knew would not be an NBA standout. I believe that even the Pacers knew this, so they went with the known commodity. And this was in the post-Brawl/Jail Pacers era when fan attendance and interest was plummeting. The team needed someone they could sell to fans, and Hansbrough was a great white hope to believe in. Unfortunately, he wasn’t very good and the decision-making process that led to the pick was horrible from a basketball standpoint.
Next: Biggest Regret?
3. What player who the Pacers passed on would have been the best selection in hindsight?
Donahue: Coulda, woulda, shoulda is a tough game to play. There are a lot of later picks who turned out great, but I think you have to consider whether or not that guy was actually a realistic pick at the time. Tayshaun Prince is certainly on that list, but you also have to wonder how things play out if Indiana got Tony Parker with the 27th pick in 2001 instead of Jamaal Tinsley. It also doesn’t make you feel very good to look at the 1999 draft, and see Wally Szczerbiak, Richard Hamilton, Andre Miller, Shawn Marion, and Jason Terry go in the five picks after the Pacers took Jonathan Bender at #5. And in 1989, taking George McCloud as a point guard at #7, when after considering and passing on Tim Hardaway isn’t a good look. However, the forever-and-always “what if?” pick was Larry Bird. It was a different NBA — a dying NBA, some thought — and the Pacers were dirt poor. They needed a player that season, and they made a really nice deal to trade back from #1 to get the #3 and Johnny Davis. Still, it is impossible not to spend fleeting moments wistfully dreaming about what would have happened had the Pacers been able to wait that one year for The Legend.
Tim Hardaway is a Hall of Famer and one of the best 15 point guards in basketball history. George McCloud is … not those things.
Ochoa: In 2009, the Pacers passed on Jeff Teague, Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Taj Gibson, and DeMarre Carroll. And they drafted Psycho T instead. Eh.
Washburn: Taking Erick Dampier over Kobe Bryant, Peja Stojakovic, and Steve Nash was pretty bad in 1996. If you really thought the Pacers needed a big man that year, they also could have opted for Jermaine O’Neal or Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
Wade: George McCloud over Tim Hardaway. Tim Hardaway is a Hall of Famer and one of the best 15 point guards in basketball history. George McCloud is … not those things. No offense to Mark Jackson, but just imagine the mid-90s Pacers having that upgrade at point when they continually came up just short against the Knicks and Bulls?
Next: Great Expectations?
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?
5. Who is a better at drafting: Donnie Walsh or Larry Bird?
Donahue: This sounds like a copout, but it’s a push. Neither could be considered a mad genius, but both are pretty good. Walsh brought in Reggie, the Davis Boys, and Al Harrington, but was also responsible for George McCloud, Scott Haskin, and the Freddie Jones misstep. Bird tabbed Paul George, Roy Hibbert, and was bright enough to take Danny Granger when he felt to 17. However, he has reached for players like Tyler Hansbrough and Miles Plumlee, and the 2006 draft class of Shawne Williams and James “Flight” White was an unmitigated disaster. Taken as a whole, both have used the draft effectively, if not efficiently, to build good Pacers teams.
More from Pacers News
- 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
- Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
- 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
- 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
- Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?
Ochoa: Can they tie? Walsh brought in the first wave of awesome Pacers’ basketball, then Bird was able to bring the Pacers back to relevancy years later. They’ve both picked some studs and also picked their fair share of duds. I’m going to dub Larry Bird the winner because he’s responsible for the more recent brand of Pacers basketball.
Washburn: I would probably give Bird the slight edge because, usually, even his “bad picks” ended up contributing SOMETHING, SOMEWHERE. Besides Shawne Williams of course. However, both are definitely above-average to good talent evaluators, and while there aren’t a ton of “home runs,” the organization could be in far worse shape.
Wade: Walsh. In six drafts from 1987 to 1991, The Don drafted Chuck Person, Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Antonio Davis, and Dale Davis. He did have the advantage of having much higher picks than Bird has ever had to work with — Person was taken fourth, Smits second. And the Reggie pick, in a vacuum, wasn’t as brave as the folk tale goes; nobody in their right mind would have taken Steve Alford 11th, and everyone knew Miller would be good. But taking a string bean shooter when the team’s best player (Person) was already a shooter isn’t something many GMs in the ’80s would have done, and pulling Antonio Davis with a second rounder is the one move that truly allowed the Pacers to flourish. Reggie, Rik, and Dale alone would have taken the team far, but that one pick launched the most successful decade in the team’s NBA history.
Next: Roy Hibbert Yet to Reveal if He Will Stay in Indiana
More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds
- 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
- Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
- 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
- 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
- Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?