2013 Draft: Pacers Preview
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
At some point Thursday night, NBA commissioner David Stern will announce from the podium that a player has been selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 23rd pick in the 2013 NBA draft.
The question: Will that player be wearing another team’s hat minutes later?
The blue and gold are far down the list of headliners and major players in this year’s unpredictable summer crapshoot, which is set for 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Barclays Center in New York City. In an unusual twist, no one seems to know which player the Cleveland Cavaliers will take first overall. There is not a Greg Oden or Anthony Davis on the board, only solid prospects such as Victor Oladipo, Alex Len and Otto Porter. Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel might have the most potential, but he is recovering from a torn ACL.
Speculation is that the first round could be muddled by a series of trades at the top and bottom as teams adjust to what is perceived as a dim prelude to next year’s expected talent boon. The Pacers hold one first-round selection (No. 23) and one second-round pick (No. 53). They are a candidate to participate in the wheeling and dealing.
General manager Kevin Pritchard has been clear that this offseason is about pursuing a championship-quality roster, and he seems to view veterans as more conducive to that goal than rookies. Pritchard always says the Pacers “look at everything,” but there’s no guarantee the Pacers can find a taker if they want to swap their first-round pick.
On the morning of the draft, Larry Bird is meeting with the media for the first time since the Pacers announced his return as president of basketball operations. Of Bird ending his one-year leave of absence, owner Herb Simon told the Indianapolis Star, “I want him to win a championship for me.”
So the Pacers’ intentions tonight are somewhat of a mystery.
Will they trust a rookie in pursuit of their ultimate mission? Will they find a shooter? Or will a new veteran walk through the door?
Deputy commissioner Adam Silver’s voice might be the one to announce the answer later in the evening after Stern’s gone home. For now, the Pacers’ plans are still shrouded in mystery.
TRADE TARGETS
Here are three players who might wind up in Indiana if Pritchard pulls off some of the shopping magic from his Portland days.
Jimmer Fredette: The Sacramento Kings surely would like to add another first-round choice to go with the No. 7 overall pick as they enter an all-inclusive rebuilding mode. They have a new owner, a new coaching staff and a new front office. Fredette, a 6-foot-2 point guard who converted 41.7 percent of his 3-pointers last season, is exactly the kind of shooter the Pacers desire. He’s entering the third year of a rookie contract that grants him $2.4 million next season, and at 24 years old, he has time to improve his many NBA deficiencies.
Thomas Robinson: The Houston Rockets reportedly want to ship out their young power forward in an attempt to clear salary cap space to pursue Los Angeles Lakers free agent center Dwight Howard. The Rockets got Robinson in a midseason swap with the Kings after that team had drafted him No. 5 overall last June. Whether Houston wants a late first-rounder for Robinson remains to be seen. Also, the Pacers work under a fairly strict budget for player salaries, and Robinson’s rookie contract – which has three years and an estimated $11.8 million remaining – might be too pricy. Yet Robinson is a 6-10 athletic power forward who undoubtedly would make the bench more dynamic.
Luis Scola: The Suns are another team that is rebuilding. Scola’s minutes were decreased in the second half of last season as Phoenix developed young players. Even entering his mid-30s, Scola is still a crafty scorer in the post and would be an immediate upgrade at backup power forward. New general manager Ryan McDonough would be glad to free himself of the two seasons and $9.4 million remaining on Scola’s contract, while the Pacers would add a needed offensive option that also can space the floor. Scola is a very good jump shooter and a decent rebounder.
HISTORY
What the Pacers have done recently in the draft:
2012: Drafted Miles Plumlee (No. 26). Acquired rights to guard Orlando Johnson (No. 36) from Sacramento for cash considerations.
2011: Traded draft rights to forward Kawhi Leonard (15) to San Antonio for George Hill in a trade that also moved Davis Bertans (42) and Erazem Lorbek, to whom the Pacers held the NBA rights, to the Spurs.
2010: Drafted Paul George (10) and Lance Stephenson (40). Traded draft rights to Ryan Reid (57) to Oklahoma City in exchange for the draft rights to Magnum Rolle (51).
2009: Drafted Tyler Hansbrough (13) and A.J. Price (52).
2008: Acquired T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Baston and the draft rights to Roy Hibbert (17) from Toronto in exchange for Jermaine O’Neal and the draft rights to Nathan Jawai (41). Acquired Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts and the draft rights to Brandon Rush (13) from Portland in exchange for Ike Diogu and the draft rights to Jerryd Bayless (11).
BY THE NUMBERS
The Pacers have made at least one draft-related trade in six of the last seven drafts, dating to 2006.
The Pacers have held the No. 23 pick twice before. In 1983, the team selected Mitchell Wiggins, but promptly traded him on draft night to Chicago for Sidney Lowe. In 1995, the Pacers drafted Travis Best, who was a contributor on their Eastern Conference championship team five years later.
In the past 17 years, no player picked with the No. 23 overall selection has been named to an All-Star team, though Tayshaun Prince went on to earn all-defense honors and Wilson Chandler has averaged 13.7 points per game in his career.
POTENTIAL PICKS
Pritchard will surely be working the phones as he has for weeks, but if the Pacers stay put, here are five possible prospects who could be there at No. 23:
1. Reggie Bullock (North Carolina) – One of the better outcomes would be the Pacers selecting Bullock (6-foot-7, 200 pounds), mostly because the club needs 3-point shooters and he’s lights-out in that department. After shooting 38.2 percent from downtown two seasons ago, he improved to 43.6 percent as a junior – one of the best marks in the nation. He’s money pulling up off the dribble or in awkward catch-and-shoot situations, mainly because his upper setup and release are not affected by the contortion of his lower body. With his ability to rebound and challenge shots, he’ll be a solid role player on an NBA team.
2. Jamaal Franklin (San Diego State) – Franklin is the most undersized wing on this list at 6-5 and 191 pounds, but he makes up for it with his tenacity and versatility. At the Pacers’ public draft workout last week, he was only a limited participant because of the effects of a sprained left ankle. But he still tried to make every impression he could. Franklin led the Aztecs in points, rebounds, assists and steals last season. He has some Paul George in him. Offensively, he gets to the line and can score in the paint with his athleticism, including NBA-like misdirection moves.
3. Tim Hardaway Jr. (Michigan) – Hardaway Jr. (6-6, 199) says he’s capable of separating himself as an NBA 2-guard in this draft, and he’s an probably right. Last year he helped lead Michigan, a football school that’d been struggling to generate big-time hoops, to the national championship game, while averaging 14.5 points per contest. His basketball IQ is high, and he’s durable enough to stay on the court – always a needed characteristic in the NBA. Hardaway Jr. can also hit the glass (4.7 boards per game) and shoot the 3 (37.4 percent). He could slide in the draft since he’s not a great athlete (a vertical in the low-30s). He also needs to work on his defense in the halfcourt.
4. Kelly Olynyk (Gonzaga) – Some of the mock drafts have had the Pacers selecting Olynyk (7-0, 234), mostly because he’d be a nice coup this late and the team needs bench scoring. The consensus on Olynyk is, he’ll have to play power forward in the NBA. One impressive trait is that he has range out to 20 feet. On top of his ability to play with his back to the basket, that can add up to a deadly skill set. But Olynyk may not be the type of physical grinder the Pacers are accustomed to having inside.
5. Isaiah Canaan (Murray State) – With backup point guard still an open sore, Canaan (6-0, 190) could fill a need for the Pacers. Despite being undersized – like D.J. Augustin – Canaan is strong and aggressive, very much unlike Augustin. The former Racer averaged 21.8 points per game as a senior and can knock down open looks from the perimeter. Growing up in coastal Mississippi, Canaan survived Hurricane Katrina and wants to use his NBA salary to help out families still recovering in his native Biloxi. That keeps him humble. He was steadily productive in college and is willing to take the offense into his own hands.
