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.
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.
— Ersin Demir (@EDemirNBA) April 26, 2023
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
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.
A power forward with size, court vision, and defense at seven.
Not much has changed at the top of the big board. There seem to be four power forwards floating around where the Pacers are projected to pick in this draft: Jarace Walker, Cam Whitmore, Gradey Dick, and Taylor Hendricks. And there is a chance that all four are still on the board at seven for the Pacers to choose from. If this is the case, then Jarace Walker is likely the top choice of the lot, followed by Cam Whitmore.
A smooth looking jumper from @UHCougarMBK Forward Jarace Walker @JaraceW. He is a potential Top 5 pick in this years #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/pHUguniy6Y
— Trevor Everette (@TrevorEverette) April 30, 2023
Walker has nearly everything you could ask for. And like the tweet above references, some mocks will have him going in the top 5. For reference, our top seven leading up to the Pacers pick of Walker for this mock goes like this:
- Victor Wembayama
- Brandon Miller
- Scoot Henderson
- Amen Thompson
- Ausar Thompson
- Anthony Black
- Jarace Walker
So what do you think? Would this be a successful draft for the Pacers if they could walk away with these players? Let us know in the comments!