Ranking 10 worst Pacers starters of the Reggie Miller era: 1. George McCloud
The worst starter of the Reggie Miller era is a tale of high hopes, underperformance, disappointment, and an unfortunate outcome for the Indiana Pacers.
Coming out of college, George McCloud was a top prospect. He was one of the best players to come out of Florida State, and the Pacers made him the seventh pick in the 1989 NBA Draft.
In his final season with the Seminoles, McCloud averaged 22.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 44.8% from the field and 43.9% from beyond the arc.
Unfortunately, in his first four seasons with the Pacers, McCloud was a bust. In his fourth and final year with the team, he started 21 games, but that year, he averaged 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 41.1% from the field and 32.0% from deep.
Indiana released him after four years with the team, and McCloud went to play in Italy. His first stint alone gets him on the list, but what happened next is why he tops it.
After one year overseasons, McCloud returned to the NBA, caught on with the Dallas Mavericks, and in his second year back, he averaged 18.9 points in 79 games (63 starts) with Dallas.
Not only was Indiana’s top-10 selection a bust with the team and a terrible starter, but he was great elsewhere. A true flop for the Pacers.