Pacers Draft Options: Khyri Thomas could contribute right away

Khyri Thomas can shoot and defend, meaning he would be helpful for the Indiana Pacers right away.

There’s just something about consistency. In his three years at Creighton, guard Khyri Thomas improved upon his points per game, field goal percentage, and three-point makes year-over-year.

You know who didn’t do that? MICHAEL JORDAN.

Jokes aside, Thomas is a combo-guard-type that could play off the bench behind Victor Oladipo and play alongside him as well.

Enough chatter. Let’s break him down!

The Skinny

In his third season at Creighton, Thomas averaged 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on .538/.411/.788 shooting splits. He is 6-foot-4, 199 pounds and has a 6-foot-10 wingspan.

Thomas is 22 years old. With those stats and that frame, he has the makings of a great NBA player.

Offense

Everything circles around Thomas’s shooting. There’s really not much to say about it: Thomas gets open and hits threes at a high clip.

Here, Thomas has no hesitation pulling up in transition:

Thomas is good at staying ready on the weak side and popping when his man sags too far off him:

Give this man space and then just close your eyes and wait to hear the swish of the net:

He can take it off a dribble-handoff, too:

Thomas isn’t just a shooter on offense, though. Here, he bodies up fellow first-round prospect Donte DiVincenzo in the post and scoops in a layup:

Thomas has some chops as a ball-handler, too, as shown here driving for a layup:

Here as well:

Defense

On offense, Thomas plays more as an off-ball guard. But he was often a point-of-attack defender at Creighton.

Good defense, better shot here by Thomas and Jalen Brunson:

Thomas only weighs about 200 pounds, but he defends like he’s 220. He is a very physical defender, as shown here when he forces Brunson into a turnover:

A slippery guard like Brunson can get by Thomas, though, as he does here for a big go-ahead bucket late in regulation (Creighton would go on to win in overtime):

Thomas gets blown by here too, again by Brunson. This time it was late in OT:

Brunson took Thomas to the post as much as possible. He succeeded a fair amount, but Thomas won this battle:

Can the Pacers Draft Him?

It is hard to peg where Thomas may get drafted. It is hard to imagine him going in the lottery, but anywhere from 15-20 seems reasonable. Teams need shooting and defense, and Thomas can be a guy to seamlessly slide in and make an impact right away.

With that being said, Thomas is 22. Teams may opt for youth and potential. That could allow Thomas to slip and the Pacers to snatch him up.

Should the Pacers be one of the teams to opt for a younger prospect, though? There are certainly worthy candidates out there. But there is something to be said about a ready-made player at that point in the draft. Thomas could come off the bench and play off of Lance Stephenson’s playmaking, and play next to Victor Oladipo. He has the combo guard skills to play some time at both positions.

Next: Pacers Draft Options: SMU Guard Shake Milton

He may not be the best player Indiana can select at 23, but Khyri Thomas should certainly be in consideration. He has NBA skills now and could be a contributor right away.