After months of anticipation, the 2022 NBA Draft is finally over. The Indiana Pacers, following a meager campaign, finished the night with three new prospects as they bolster their roster for the following season.
That being said, how did the Pacers fare in each of their draft selections? Without further ado, here is our individual grades on each pick.
Grading the Indiana Pacers’ 2022 NBA Draft picks: Bennedict Mathurin
Following the most likely scenario, the Pacers stood pat at No. 6 and wasted no time picking Bennedict Mathurin. The 6’6 wing, whose draft stock increased in the lead-up to the NBA Draft, was projected by many to land in Indiana with the top-five firmly set.
Admittedly, Mathurin was a safe pick for the Pacers, one that may prompt some murmurs considering the available upside at that juncture. However, he simply made the most sense for the Blue and Gold with players at this tier becoming bona fide gambles. Shaedon Sharpe is a massive-risk, massive-reward prospect, and AJ Griffin, who fell all the way to No. 16, was catapulted down by his injury history.
Back to the basketball side, there’s no doubt that Mathurin is a great choice for the Pacers, both talent and fit-wise. An extremely athletic swingman, he projects as a great fit next to Tyrese Haliburton. He can play with and without the ball, and boasts a stable jump shot that should translate well to the big league. Even more, he can dish the ball out to his teammates, viably serving as a secondary playmaker on the constant.
Aside from his fit with Indiana’s core, Mathurin has loads of upside, easily touting All-Star potential. The Pacers brass love this selection, and it’s not difficult at all to see why.
Grade: A
Grading the Indiana Pacers’ 2022 NBA Draft picks: Andrew Nembhard
With the 31st pick in the second round, the Indiana Pacers zoomed in on Gonzaga product Andrew Nembhard and eventually selected the rookie point guard.
The move came as a surprise for many, but for reasons of fit. With the Pacers already facing a logjam in the backcourt positions, adding another guard to the fold seemed counterintuitive, though this selection may have been done as a prelude to other offseason moves.
Following this pick, Indiana is a near-guarantee to indeed trade Malcolm Brogdon. However, with that already being the case even prior to the draft, lesser trade priorities like Buddy Hield and also TJ McConnell may be on the move as there is simply to many mouths to feed as things currently stand in the guard spots. If all these transpire, then this pick could pay dividends.
Nevertheless, while the Pacers would have been better off selecting a big wing or a frontcourt piece, Nembhard is one of the best playmakers in the 2022 draft class. Especially dangerous in the pick-and-roll game, he has a knack for reading the lanes and racking up steals as a lanky point guard. His three-point shot is a nice boost as well, especially with Indiana registering a mediocre three-point shooting campaign last season.
Grade: C
Grading the Indiana Pacers’ 2022 NBA Draft picks: Kendall Brown
Just when everybody expected the Indiana Pacers to stand pat and settle for what’s available to them at No. 60 (or 58), the team landed the 48th pick in a sudden trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves and used that to snag Kendall Brown.
This is a tremendous move by the Pacers front office, as Brown was widely projected to be a mid-to late first-round selection who somehow remained on the board until the late second round. After making a rather questionable pick in Nembhard, Indiana redeemed itself by nabbing an early candidate for this year’s steal of the draft.
A 6’7 forward, Brown is yet another elite athlete who thrives in transition, using his bounce to impact the game both offensively and defensively. He is one of this draft class’ most efficient finishers, and has proven to be effective as a catch-and-shoot player, though his jump shot still has loads of room for improvement. He’s also not a shot creator, but the Pacers need off-ball players more with their litany of ball handlers.
Better yet, Brown fills a position of need for the Pacers, giving them more dimension outside of Oshae Brissett and more incentive to let TJ Warren go heading to free agency. This selection is definitely difficult to dislike.
Grade: A+