The big question heading into the offseason was what pick the Indiana Pacers would have for the coming draft. On Tuesday night, that question was finally answered when the ping pong balls finally were drawn and the draft order was revealed to the lottery teams and the rest of the world. And the results were a bit surprising.
San Antonio won the first overall pick in the draft for the third time in franchise history, moving up two spots in the projected order to claim the number one overall pick. There was quite a bit of a shake-up near the top with Charlotte and Portland moving up to claim picks two and three. The big loser of the night was Detroit who fell four spots down to pick five. And the Pacers? They ended up exactly where they were projected to end up- at pick number seven.
The NBA Draft lottery results:
— Sporting News NBA (@sn_nba) May 17, 2023
1. Spurs
2. Hornets
3. Trail Blazers
4. Rockets
5. Pistons
6. Magic
7. Pacers
8. Wizards
9. Jazz
10. Mavericks
11. Magic
12. Thunder
13. Raptors
14. Pelicans
Pacers fans shouldn’t be too disheartened, they can still get a potential franchise cornerstone.
There is still hope that the Pacers could do something meaningful with the number seven pick, although they will have to be a bit more strategic. Players like Cam Whitmore, Jarace Walker, and Gradey Dick will likely be the best available on the board, meaning some strong contenders for power forward will be available. That is the position that the Pacers desperately need to draft this summer.
As far as the draft results, this is the continuation of continued bad luck for the franchise, who can’t seem to catch a win (as opposed to the Spurs and Cavs who seem walk backwards into the number one pick year after year). I guess Pacers fans can take solace in knowing that we didn’t fall backwards, but it is still disappointing not to move up again.
Here’s to hoping that next time we find ourselves in the lottery the narrative finally changes. Congrats Spurs, enjoy the next decade of having a superstar.