What the Indiana Pacers can expect from their draft pick

The Indiana Pacers enter the 2020 NBA Draft with one selection.

Unless the Indiana Pacers trade during the NBA Draft, they will only make one selection, which comes at the end of the second round. Recent history suggests their rookies may take a bit to get on the court, especially second-round selections. What can they expect from their draft pick in 2020-21?

Regardless of who is selected with the 54th pick, there should not be any immediate expectations for his first season. The Pacers already have plenty of quality players in the rotation and a few young guys who are ready to take the next step. Goga Bitadze, Alize Johnson, and Edmond Sumner are all primed for a larger role in the rotation this season.

However, the second round of the draft will likely offer two separate scenarios for teams picking late. The first option being the opportunity to draft a younger prospect who left school early despite not being as prepared as his peers. The other, then, is to find a senior prospect who may slide due to being three or four years older.

If Indiana goes with a young guy, there is almost no reason for him to see the floor right away. Instead, they can give him extra minutes in the G-League while he adds to his game. But if the Pacers take an older player like Markus Howard or Sam Merrill, they could find a way to use their experience.

First-round picks with the Pacers have not seen a lot of playing time early in their careers. It is hard to imagine a second-round pick will have a different experience. The Pacers have a strong eight-man rotation in place with depth beyond that as well.

The smart play is to draft someone who can eventually provide depth at a position of future need. With Victor Oladipo‘s future in the air still, drafting a guard or wing player with developmental upside might be the best option.