11 Players you forgot played for the Indiana Pacers
By Josh Wilson
Scott Skiles was a Pacers guard until the expansion
Before leading several teams as a coach and rolling out a decent five-season run with the Orlando Magic where he averaged 12.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, Scott Skiles was an Indiana Pacer.
After seeing just 13 games in his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, he was traded to the Pacers for a second-round draft pick and he would start seeing more playing time.
Over two years in Indiana, Skiles appeared in 131 regular-season games, starting 15. From 1987-89, Skiles averaged 5.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game while in the blue and gold.
In 1989, the Orlando Magic would join the NBA along with the Minnesota Timberwolves. An expansion draft took place to help the two new franchises fill out their rosters.
Every existing team in the league could protect eight players, and Skiles was not protected by the Pacers, leaving him up for grabs. The Magic would select him with the 11th pick in the expansion draft, their sixth selection of the night.
In his first season with Orlando, Skiles was a backup point guard but would show Indiana what they potentially lost in his second season with the Magic. Moving into a starting role, Skiles put up 17.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists.
That year that Skiles established himself as a consistent starter, the Pacers backcourt duties were manned primarily by Vern Flemming and Michael Williams. Skiles’s presence may have really helped Indiana had they protected him in the expansion draft.