The Pacers will regret it if they pass on Brian Bowen II in the second round

Brian Bowen’s path to the NBA took a detour to Australia, but the Indiana Pacers should be targetting him with the 50th pick in the draft.

Imagine not hearing NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announces “With the 50th pick in the NBA draft, the Indiana Pacers select Brian Bowen, from the Australia Sydney Kings.” The Saginaw, Michigan native is eyeing the 2019 NBA Draft with patience and preparation. In recent weeks, Bowen participated in NBA combines in hopes to revive a dream taken away from him last year.

The likelihood for the Pacers acquiring Bowen are farfetched. His athleticism combined with his 3-and-D tendencies is what the Pacers haven’t had in recent years. Bowen averaged 6.3 points per game shooting 45 percent from the field in Australia’s National Basketball League.

In seven of the 30 season games played, he combined for a total of 87 points in those double-digit performances. Bowen also ranked fourth in rebounds on the Kings averaging 3.2. His rebounds transpired into scoring off second-chance points and put back dunks.

He’s not there on every play, but he shows up in high leverage moments unexpectedly. Bowen can shoot in transition as a wing shooter, defend the perimeter and deny easy passes in the post with his wingspan.

It’s easy to overlook the former ranked No. 14 small forward according to ESPN in 2017.  This doesn’t change the situation for the Pacers who desperately needs a backup small forward if Bojan Bogdanovic doesn’t resign. Adding Bowen to the roster would give him the opportunity to be a go-to guy who can score off the bench.  He’s a situational player who can control the tempo of the game if you allow him to get to his spots.

I’ve seen Bowen play in person who led the Saginaw Arthur Hill Lumberjacks as a runner-up to the 2015 MHSAA Class A State championship. Bowen scored 21 points in a loss against Detroit Western.

His backdoor cuts are overshadowed when he shakes off the defender and cuts to the basket. He was known as a cerebral shooter who could score 29 points on any given night during his two seasons as a La Lumiere Laker.

Don’t let the dyed Ramen noodle-colored hair fool you. He still has that smooth footwork, rebounding ability like a center and can catch alley-oops on a fast break. The argument could be made that Bowen already faced former nationally ranked high school players currently in the NBA. If high school prep basketball is already a reflection of NCAA talent level, Bowen would account for that missed college experience to a degree.

Unlike the NBL, the NBA isn’t predicated on physicality. In a transcendent three-point shooting league, Bowen would benefit from the mismatch of coaches throwing centers at him on the perimeter. He’s one of those players if you allow him to gather his feet, he’ll drain post up fadeaway jumpers.

Some takeaways from Bowen would be his asset of knocking down three-pointers when uncontested. The NBA has a few defenders who embody defense, but offense gets the best of poor defensive schemes in today’s league. It will be easier for Bowen to get more than five touches if he decides to settle as a three-point specialist.

Why he might fall the Pacers in the draft

The biggest contributor that hindered Bowen hopes of getting drafted in 2018 was the FBI scandal.  A top-ranked player who committed to a university that never recruited him was a red flag. For most scouts and fans, having faith in a player dealing with off the court issues, would not be convincing enough to see his improvement.

Had Bowen not been subjected to NCAA disciplinary action, he would’ve easily increased his draft stock to a projected top 10 pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

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This is about maximizing a player skill at the small forward position once dominated by former Pacer Paul George. Bowen game is far from decent and would thrive in a rebuilding culture if he can claw his way into the starting lineup.

No one has never got a chance to see him dominate at a high level because it’s overshadowed by his mistakes. Indiana offers a rebuilding culture with a young core of talent built on physicality and needs a high energy sixth man who can score.

The No.1 underdog in this draft who was well on his way to take the ACC or SEC by storm, should not be taken for granted. Not to mention, his dribble-drive pull-up jumper mirrors his relative and former NBA highflyer Jason Richardson’s shot selection.

Bowen can also split through the defenders and finish at the rim when he goes to his left. If he shot 76 percent from the free-throw line this season, we can’t ignore he went to the line off the bench at least four times per game.

This just might be the only opportunity for the Pacers to turn a potential “What if” situation into a “what would be” moving forward. It would shock Pacer fans to see Bowen in the years developing into a savvy all-star elsewhere. Don’t be surprised if he somehow ends up on the top 15 small forwards list in the NBA soon.