DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell provides offensive punch to Summer Pacers

Summer League has been disappointing for the Indiana Pacers in terms of wins/losses, but DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell has been a bright spot.

The 2019 Summer Indiana Pacers are a squad devoid of fun. Despite a roster featuring multiple NBA players, this iteration of the Summer Pacers has been one of the least enjoyable and watchable teams in years. Much of this is due to injury (or Visa related issues); Goga Bitadze, Aaron Holiday, Edmond Sumner and Brian Bowen have all missed one or more games.

Even when healthy, nobody has shined too brightly, with overall sloppy offense and disorganization. This season, there’s unfortunately not much to take away from Indiana’s Summer League squadron.

However, there is one beacon which keeps me sane while watching the Summer Pacers: DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell. One of Indiana’s best players in Vegas, Akoon-Purcell has stood out in a big way this Summer. In three Vegas Summer League games, he’s posted 14 points, 5.3 boards, 1.7 assists, and two steals per game.

After he finished his career at Illinois State, Akoon-Purcell enjoyed a stellar three years with the Danish club Bakken Bears, winning two league titles, a league MVP, finals MVP and a fan vote FIBA Eurocup MVP. Last Summer, Akoon-Purcell spent the Summer League with the Denver Nuggets and played his way to a two-way deal.

On offense, Akoon-Purcell’s size at 6-foot-6, athleticism, and scoring craft is intriguing. Rejecting the pick and roll, Akoon-Purcell locks his defender in jail, placing him on his back. He’s patient, waits for the jump, steps through and drains the mid-range shot:

With a quick spin move, Akoon-Purcell gets into the lane against the weaker Louis King and drops in a sweet floater. He has great touch around the rim, which inspires confidence for future three-point shooting development despite shaky results so far:

With his size, Akoon-Purcell is functionally strong on drives and knows how to muscle his way to his spots. Bumping the defender out of the way, he floats in another teardrop:

The strength is on display again here, as Akoon-Purcell absorbs contact and finishes the tough layup in transition:

After receiving the dribble handoff and working downhill, Akoon-Purcell freezes the dropping big with a nasty in-and-out dribble, finishing the open layup:

More strength and touch here, as Akoon-Purcell attacks the closeout, takes the contact, hangs in the air, and finishes with touch:

Akoon-Purcell attacks out of the pick and roll setting up a step back mid range jumper. He throws out a pump fake, drawing a crafty foul when the defender bites:

Along with his scoring craft and finishing around the rim, Akoon-Purcell is a solid playmaker. He doesn’t have the high-level vision, IQ, or athletic tools to playmake as a primary, but he can take advantage of openings in an off-ball role. Reading the PNR, Akoon-Purcell rifles a one-handed skip pass to the opposite wing:

In a very similar play, Akoon-Purell runs a side PNR on the right wing. He waits for Bruno Fernando to reach the lowest point in his tag before lifting the ball to the open weak side wing:

After an offensive rebound, Akoon-Purcell finds the cutter among the scrambling defense:

Waiting in the corner, Akoon-Purcell again locates a middle cutter for an eventual kick out for a wide-open triple:

Ending where we started, Akoon-Purcell has his defender on his back before kicking out to the shooter at the top of the key:

On defense, Akoon-Purcell’s performance has been mixed. He’s generally active and solid on the ball with his tools, making plays like this: He stunts at the Matt Mooney and recovers for the steal:

However, there are also instances like this, where Akoon-Purcell spaces out watching the ball and lets his man slip backdoor:

While Akoon-Purcell might not be the most refined defender, Indiana is the perfect place to improve there. Given his size and tools, I’m sure he could become a fine defender under the tutelage of Nate McMillan and Dan Burke. With the Indiana Pacers shifting towards an offensive identity, DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell’s scoring and passing chops fit their plan. Don’t be surprised to see Indiana lock him up on a two-way deal and if not, get him in Fort Wayne.