The Indiana Pacers have found value late in the draft before, but can they do it again in the 2016 NBA Draft?
Last year the Indiana Pacers found a steal with the No. 11 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft when they selected Myles Turner.
It won’t be as easy for Indiana this year as they aren’t in the lottery and have the 20th pick in the 1st Round and the 50th in the 2nd. But Indiana’s fans shouldn’t panic just yet, as the Pacers have found value in the later parts of the rounds before.
Just going back a few seasons ago, you can see the Pacers found contributors around the 20th pick. Larry Bird and Kevin Pritchard grabbed Solomon Hill with the 23rd pick in 2013. Even though Solomon’s career with Indiana has had ups and downs, his lockdown defense strengthened the Pacers over the past few years.
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While it was really the San Antonio Spurs’ selection in 2011 (as Indiana traded for George Hill), Kawhi Leonard also was a steal as the No. 15 pick. He may have never become the player he is if he was backing up Danny Granger had he been Indiana’s selection, but he is nonetheless a reminder that not all franchise players come in the lottery.
Speaking of Granger, he was the No. 17 pick in 2005 and became the bridge between the Miller Time and Blue Collar, Gold Swagger eras of the Indiana Pacers. In the 2008-09 season, Granger averaged 25.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, and a steal a game while making the All-Star Game. That likely wasn’t what anyone expected when the Pacers picked him just a few years before. Injuries slowed him down and eventually led to Bird trading him in 2014, but his place in Indiana’s history shouldn’t be forgotten.
Al Harrington’s selection in 1998 at No. 25 is another example of the value that can be found later in the first round, though it isn’t easy to find year in and year out.
As memorable as these names are, Miles Plumlee, Shawne Williams, Travis Best, Eric Piatkowski, Vern Fleming, Devin Durrant, and Mitchell Wiggins some of the other choices the Pacers made near the 20th pick that are easily forgotten over time.
Finding talent around the 50th pick is even harder, as Antonio Davis and Fred Hoiberg might be the only two names recognized that were selected in the late-middle part of the second round by Indiana.
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Indiana has never had the 20th or 50th pick before, but looking at NBA history, we can see Steve Kerr was the 50th pick in 1988 when he was taken by the Phoenix Suns, and current Indiana Pacer Lavoy Allen was taken in that spot in 2011 by the Philadelphia 76ers. At the 50th pick, arguably Larry Nance, Gus Williams and Zydrunas Ilgauskas are the best players selected then.
So who might the Pacers find when they pick comes up?
According to Sports Illustrated’s Mock Draft by Andrew Sharp, Wade Baldwin IV of Vanderbilt is a possibility.
"Baldwin is a great example of the depth in this draft, and the wide variance of projections outside the top 10. His defense alone makes him enticing as a combo guard, and his potential on offense could convince someone to take a chance on him closer to 10 than 20. For now, I’m sticking with him on the Pacers as the heir to George Hill and an antidote to Monta Ellis."
ESPN’s Chad Ford has Malachi Richardson going to the Pacers in the first round.
"Larry Bird wants scorers, and after Hield is off the board, I’m not sure there’s another guy who can score on his own faster than Richardson.He’s a bit raw but fits the style of play the Pacers are hoping for under new coach Nate McMillan. Another sleeper here is Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff."
NBADraft.net has the Pacers taking UNLV’s Stephen Zimmerman with the 20th pick and Dorian Finney-Smith with the 50th pick.
The Indy Star’s Matthew Glenesk has a roundup of some of the latest mock drafts and who the Pacers might find.
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It won’t be easy, but with a little scouting and a little luck, the Pacers could find an impact player that deep in the draft.