6. Billy Knight, 1974-77, 1979-83
Pacers scoring: 18.4 ppg, FG: 51.3%, 3P: 25%, FT: 82.6%
Billy Knight was the final Indiana Pacers star of the ABA (where he made the All-Star team in 1976), and the first of the NBA (where he made the All-Star team in 1977).
Knight played two separate stints in Indiana, the first being much more prolific than the second.
He averaged 23.8 points per game over his first three seasons, Knight averaged 15.1 during his later four-year run. Not bad but not all-star worthy. In 1983, Knight was traded to New York for the draft pick that became Vern Fleming, at the time of that trade, Knight was the franchises leading scorer with 10,780. He held that mark for almost 11 full seasons until Reggie Miller knocked him off. Still he’s the franchise’s third-leading scorer and one of only four players with over 10,000 points.
Knight led the Pacers in scoring three times, including in his all-star years where he scored a quarter of the Pacers points in each season. His game befitted his production, the younger-version of Billy Knight was and outside-in threat. If you gave him space on the perimeter he could knock down a corner jumper (the ABA’s 3-point line was a benefit to him). But Knight was very adept at attacking the basket, where he would willingly battle among the trees and spring back up for put-backs.
The Pacers made the ABA finals during Knight’s rookie year, but he only played in two more playoffs during his time in Indiana.
That’s the only thing keeping Knight from being higher on this list, all the top five players had tremendous numbers that led to team success.
When Knight had his two best seasons the Pacers were beginning to slide and under the financial constraints that the NBA applied to all merger teams. Really, Knight (along with Freddie Lewis) are the most overlooked players in franchise history. Lewis the great leader, Knight the great scorer.