Which prospects could the Indiana Pacers target in the second round?
The Indiana Pacers have two second-round picks in the 2021 NBA Draft to add to their roster. Which prospects could be steals if they fall to Indiana near the bottom of the draft?
Recent drafts have been kind to the Pacers in the second round, especially in comparison to their success in the first round. Joe Young, Alize Johnson, and Edmond Sumner have all had their moments with the Pacers and Sumner has really become a staple of the rotation after last season.
In 2020, Indiana’s only draft pick came in the second round when they selected Cassius Stanley, though he did not see much action in the NBA as a rookie. With a pretty deep roster already in place, the team should not expect either of their second-round picks, if they choose to keep them, to be part of the rotation.
However, those players could still be stashed in the G-League and on the end of the bench for blowouts as we have seen in the past. With a decent history of developing unexpected role players, taking a chance on two more in this draft should be pretty exciting for the Pacers.
Here are three second-round prospects that could be rotational players or fan-favorites for the Pacers down the road.
Trendon Watford could be an option for the Indiana Pacers
LSU was able to land Trendon Watford out of high school, gifting the Tigers one of the nation’s top recruits during his cycle. After two seasons at LSU, Watford has entered the NBA Draft for the second time but may not want to head back to school this time around. With youth still on his side, now might be the best time to head to the NBA.
Watford never really found his rhythm as a shooter in college, hitting on just 29 percent of his 3PA and 66 percent of his free throws. He will make his name as a scoring threat in the frontcourt but he lacks elite athleticism and struggles to play above the rim.
Listed as a forward, it is pretty clear that Watford would be best-suited to play the four for the Pacers given his length and scoring ability. If he could develop into a serviceable defender, he can be a good role player. At 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Watford hauled in 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 STOCKS per game over two years.
The connection to Indiana is strong with Watford as well. His brother, Christian Watford, was a standout forward at Indiana University and hit one of the most iconic shots in college hoops history. Can the Pacers find success with the younger Watford?
Should the Indiana Pacers target Isaiah Livers?
Scoring is the foundation of basketball and Michigan’s Isaiah Livers can do it from anywhere on the floor. Over four years at Michigan, Livers averaged 8.3 points per game on .526/.412/.856 shooting splits which are just absurd. In each of his final two seasons, Livers scored 13 points per game and shot 91 percent from the foul line.
He is a lethal catch-and-shoot threat from three-point range and does a lot of damage from the corner. His range can extend a few feet beyond the line and putting a hand in his face is not always enough to force a miss.
While he does have some issues with athleticism and quickness, Livers has flashed some defensive success over the years. He does a good job of guarding the four while getting a hand up on shots and staying in front when drivers attack.
With a profile consisting of size, length, and a deadly jumper, Livers has a very good chance to be a rotational piece at the next level. I firmly believe he can break out in the summer league and even the G-League if he is forced to spend some time there next season.
As of right now, Isaiah Livers is my favorite pick for the Pacers with one of the second-round picks. He brings shooting and depth to a position the Pacers are severely lacking.
John Petty would be a fun addition to the Indiana Pacers
To stay on the trend of shooting upside, John Petty is a name to watch near the end of the draft or even as an undrafted camp invite. Petty played four years at Alabama, starting 105 games for the Crimson Tide. He averaged at least 10 points in each of his four seasons while shooting 38 percent from deep.
In 2019-20, Petty had his breakout season. He scored 14.5 points per game and shot an astounding 44 percent from beyond the arc. Scoring from range is the only guarantee with Petty but it’s a good starting point for a guard with some decent length.
Petty had some highlights playing above the rim with explosive slams on alley-oops and putbacks. Stashing his shooting talent and experience on the end of the bench might give Indiana a solid two-way player who can fill in on the end of the bench throughout the season while developing him in the G-League.
This player is certainly more of a long shot to make the roster. If the Pacers fall in love with his shooting upside then he makes sense as a bench guard that can get some late minutes but his road to the rotation is much longer than the other guys on this list.