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Hindsight is 20/20: Re-drafting the Pacers’ last 5 first-round draft picks

By Ben Gibson

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 23: Solomon Hill #44 and George Hill #3 of the Indiana Pacers speak during Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors on April 23, 2016 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 23: Solomon Hill #44 and George Hill #3 of the Indiana Pacers speak during Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors on April 23, 2016 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors
TORONTO, CANADA – MAY 30: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors shoots the ball against the Golden State Warriors during Game One of the NBA Finals on May 30, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images) /

With the 20th pick of the 2016 draft, the Pacers select…

Pacers 2016 Pick: Caris Levert, the 20th pick (traded to the Brooklyn Nets)
Our 2016 pick: Pascal Siakam, the 27th pick

OK, I’m cheating a little here, but to my defense, it was a trade made on draft day, and it is certainly one that I don’t think even with hindsight there’s a right answer to. In reality, the Pacers did trade the 20th pick that day for Thaddeus Young. In our hindsight reality, if the Pacers did keep pick, who would they take instead of Levert there?

Pascal Siakam seems like the right choice. Malcolm Brogdon and Dejounte Murray have outplayed their draft positions as well, but in our strange world, I’d take Siakam.

It wouldn’t be because I don’t like Thad  — I’m a huge Thad stan — but with the power of hindsight, there’s a benefit of not trading for an above average veteran center in hopes of keeping Paul George around. Siakam could be the long-term fit the Pacers need now and going into the future.

Pascal’s 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists a game this season with the Raptors would be enough reason to want him, but his 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in Game 1 of the NBA Finals is a pretty good reason to take him with the 20th pick as well.

Thaddeus Young has been everything the Pacers expected him to be when they traded for him, but if we’re going back in time to alter the past to improve the Pacers future, taking Siakam instead of trading the pick would be worth it.

He may not have made the Pacers better if he was with them for the previous two seasons, but seeing the player he is developing into now is certainly an intriguing alternate Pacers reality.

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