NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Projecting Pacers surprising first-round selections
By Joe Lyon
As the NBA draft gets closer and closer, we decided to project out who the Pacers were going to pick with each of their upcoming picks. Given that we now know what (likely) picks the Pacers will have, the exercise is getting easier for us to do.
Currently, it looks like the Pacers will have the 7th overall pick (this could change if the ping pong balls go our way), the 26th pick courtesy of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the 29th pick via the Boston Celtics.
Who will the Pacers pick with the 28th pick in the draft?
This one is one of the harder ones to project given it’s hard to tell what will happen prior to 28 in the draft. The top of the draft is a bit easier to predict, but it gets pretty challenging later in the first. In our mock draft, we have the Pacers picking Trayce Jackson-Davis, power forward out of Indiana University.
Trayce Jackson-Davis is the best P&R finisher for my money in this draft. 1.27 PPP on cuts + P&R combined (labels aren't entirely accurate each play)
— Mavs/Magic Draft (@MavsDraft) April 22, 2023
Notice the give & gos, fake cuts off ball, and the overall lob threat in these plays
Brandon Clarke/Dwight Powell with D vibes pic.twitter.com/NSwAOjEtOa
Trayce is a borderline first-round pick, which means getting him at the end of the first would make a lot of sense. He certainly has drawbacks (he need to become a better shooter at the next level), but has shown some versatility in the passing game and decision-making that he is worth a flier for the Pacers who would also be getting a IU-fan bump in fans in the upcoming year.