Indiana Pacers: 3 bright spots from the Summer League so far

Chris Duarte looks great for the Indiana Pacers

When the Indiana Pacers selected Chris Duarte with the 13th overall pick, there was some concern about his upside. Admittedly, I am part of the group that was not a fan of the pick – and I am not going to change my stance simply after two exhibition games. Still, Duarte has been a fun watch so far, and it’s clear why he was so highly touted in the draft.

Duarte was praised for his ability to hit tough shots and he has delivered exactly that. He has shown plenty of confidence in pulling up from deep and knocking down ridiculous shots over defenders.

Indiana needs an extra contributor off the bench to replace the output from Doug McDermott who left for San Antonio. With a key roster spot open, Duarte has a clear opportunity to take the job and run with it.

Better yet, Duarte has shown promise on the defensive end, which was expected when he took the floor. Adding a strong perimeter defender to the mix after the disaster that was last season is exactly what Indiana needed, so that’s where the selection of Duarte makes sense.

With high expectations entering his rookie season, Chris Duarte has shown glimpses of why the Pacers were so excited about him in the draft.