The Indiana Pacers may have finally had a good draft

Even though it is still very early in the process, the initial feedback from the Indiana Pacers‘ 2021 NBA Draft class has been incredible. Indiana made two selections in the first round which resulted in Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson. So far in the Summer League, the two rookies have been incredible and could be key pieces to the team moving forward.

The Summer League cannot be overvalued and we should not overreact to a stretch of quality play in exhibitions but Pacers fans should be excited about the future. Duarte and Jackson have both shown a lot of flashes in their early Summer League action.

Did the Indiana Pacers finally have a good draft?

After years of struggling to hit on their draft picks, especially in the first round, it appears the Pacers have finally found players who can contribute right away. Chris Duarte, a guard out of Oregon, was mostly criticized for his age during the draft cycle. I do understand the resentment for selecting a 24-year-old guard but he has shown that he can elevate this team immediately.

Jackson was acquired via a trade with the Washington Wizards that sent Aaron Holiday to D.C. on draft night. The reactions to Indiana selecting another big man were noticeable and understandable, but he is proving to be much more than expected.

Isaiah Jackson has been incredible as a roll man and using his feet to create chaos near the rim on both ends. He moves exceptionally well for a guy of his size and that will be huge for Indiana off the bench. Having the ability to play him as the four or five with the second unit will open a lot of things up.

The two rookies have teamed up nicely in the Summer League. Indiana has not been an exciting team in recent years as they lack the highlight-reel plays but Duarte and Jackson have done exactly that so far. Their connection on alley-oops has been a blast to watch in Las Vegas.

Chris Duarte is going to come in right away and be a positive impact player off of Indiana’s bench. His experience and NBA readiness were definitely admirable in the draft process and that has been exactly the case this summer.

He has hit some tough jumpers while also showing off his handling at times to set himself up for transition buckets. Having him off the bench to carry the scoring load will be crucial if Indiana wants to get back to the playoffs in 2021-22.

Down the line, I could see Duarte being the replacement for T.J. Warren if he fields a big offer in free agency next season. Indiana will not be able to afford him along with the rest of the starting five at their current numbers while also fielding a competitive bench unit. Duarte may be the solution as Warren walks away following this season.

Getting Isaiah Jackson into the rotation will be a bit more challenging given the talent that is currently ahead of him. With discussions of the Pacers moving Myles Turner to the bench to space out the bigs, that could be even trickier for Jackson.

I do think Jackson can offer more than Goga Bitadze right now and although Bitadze has shown glimpses in his first two seasons, he has not done enough to secure a spot. If Jackson continues to impress this offseason, Goga could be on his way out the door.

There is a bit of a logjam in the frontcourt in Indiana as we are all well aware but Isaiah Jackson fits into a number of roles. He is not strictly a forward or a center, nor is he just a shot-blocker or post scorer. Indiana can use him however they see fit and with whichever lineup they decide. He has a future in the rotation, that is for sure.

It is still early but the Indiana Pacers appear to have finally crushed a draft class. Can they continue to impress or is this just a summer fling?