Indiana Pacers draft options: Moses Moody vs. Josh Giddey
By Luke Parrish
When comparing all factors, which prospect should the Indiana Pacers select this summer?
Between now and the NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers will have plenty of time to develop a board of prospects they prefer. In order to shape that board, they first need to figure out which specific prospects, who are ranked in similar tiers, have the advantage in a head-to-head comparison.
The first pair of prospects to consider for this list have been mocked to the Pacers pretty consistently this offseason. Arkansas wing Moses Moody and Australian point guard Josh Giddey have both been favorites for the Pacers up to this point. Which player is a better fit for the Pacers with the 13th overall pick?
Both have the chance to fill a major role in Indiana for the 2021 season and beyond as the Pacers severely lack depth across the roster. Moody brings shooting and a defensive mentality to the perimeter while Giddey has playmaking upside in the backcourt as the potential point guard of the future.
Making the case for Moses Moody
Moody enters this draft as arguably the best wing available for the Pacers near the bottom of the lottery. There are a few other forwards that should go a few slots above him and likely out of Indiana’s range but if he is on the board at 13, his value for Indiana is through the roof.
He can shoot from the perimeter with a mindset to take over on offense when necessary. As a freshman at Arkansas, Moody scored 16.8 points per game while knocking down 36 percent of his three-point attempts and 81 percent of his free throws. With good size and length on his side, the offensive upside is very enticing for the Pacers.
On top of that, Moody is an excellent defender. Perimeter defending was perhaps the biggest concern for the Pacers last season and having the chance to improve that at this stage of the draft would be the ideal scenario for Indiana.
Moses Moody would be a solid weapon in the second unit next to Oshae Brissett and Justin Holiday, giving Indiana a lot of shooting and defense when the starting five is off the floor. But is Moody a better option than Josh Giddey?