NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Projecting Pacers surprising first-round selections

By Joe Lyon | May 1, 2023

ALBANY, NEW YORK - MARCH 19: Jordan Miller #11 of the Miami Hurricanes handles the ball against Trayce Jackson-Davis #23 of the Indiana Hoosiers in the second half during the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 19, 2023 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

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Dariq Whitehead (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) /

The Pacers take a small forward that finished the season strong

Dariq Whitehead was projected to potentially be a lottery pick while coming out of high school, but had a slow start on the east coast with Duke. However, Whitehead finished the season strong and made a case to work himself back into the first round.

He’s a bit small for what the Pacers need, but may be able to fit into the scoring wing/forward role for the Pacers. At 6’7” and 220 lbs he’s not massive, but he’s not small either. He averaged eight points on 42% from deep, but improved drastically over the course of the season.

Dariq Whitehead is very good at using his long arms (6'10" WP) to his advantage.

Fights through the screen twice here before disrupting the entry pass from the top of the key.

The combination of explosiveness, positional size, and athleticism will keep him in the top 20. pic.twitter.com/5x45MSEv26
— Ersin Demir (@EDemirNBA) April 26, 2023

Not only that, but Dariq may have some promise on the defensive end of the court in terms of his athleticism. He may be able to slide in as a 3&D player for the Pacers that could contribute early. The perfect type of player that you would want to take later in the first round.

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