This piece today focuses on who Indiana may target and select at pick #43. A few notes to consider:
-This list is not necessarily going to reflect who I personally would consider, as I did that yesterday on my big board article. This will instead attempt to predict what Indiana might ACTUALLY do tomorrow.
-This list has some consistencies. First, I looked for guys Indiana has shown interest in, either by working them out here, interviewing them at the Combine, seeing them up close at Portsmouth, or some combination of those.
-I have particularly focused on guys with no known health red flags, and no character concerns. I did rule one of my top targets out due to a health concern that I feel likely rules him out for Indiana (Larry Nance Jr). There may be others, but I don't have the access to find any of that out.
-I have no idea if this is true, but it makes sense to me: I think Indiana will make their pick at #11, then pick a player of a different type at #43. I expect us to take a front court player and a potential point guard with these 2 selections, but there is still no way to know which one they will select first.
-I believe Indiana will almost assuredly go with someone who is older, more mature, and more ready to contribute and fit in to their locker room. That seems to fit our organizational ethos.
-This is a quick list, not an in-depth scouting report. I'll have a full 2nd round scouting report on whoever we end up (assuming it is someone I can find out about or already have tape on) a few days after the draft.
-While Indiana clearly could take a "draft and stash" type player at #43, I am not going to predict that, simply because I don't see a likely candidate at this point that stayed in the draft. However, our Pete Philo is the most highly regarded international scout in the world, and I won't be surprised if they go that route with someone I have no clue about that is off the radar.
All that being said, I have narrowed my predictions to 6 individual players who I think are likely Pacers come late tomorrow night....3 front court guys, and 3 ballhandlers.
IF WE TAKE A BIG IN THE FIRST ROUND:
1. Olivier Hanlon, Junior PG/SG from Boston College. Hanlon is 6'4 1/4, with a 6'6 1/2 wingspan. He played for a terrible program at Chestnut Hill, but he himself played very well. He scored 19.5ppg last year, and was one of the leading BCS conference scorers in the country. He also is an extremely well spoken, high character guy that fits our culture well. He is not a pure PG, but nobody is at pick #43 anyway. I really like Hanlon as a 3rd PG 11th man type to start with, and I think he is very likely going to be our pick if we pick a front court guy in the first round.
2. Joe Young, SR PG/SG from Oregon. Young is 6'2, with a 6'5 wingspan. He was the 2015 Pac-10 player of the year, and scored 20.7 PPG. He is a scorer, aggressive, offensive type of scoring guard. He loafed a lot defensively in my opinion, but he showed flashes of being better that that, and he will be in a smaller role. NBA ready body and maturity. Good pick and roll player.
3. Terry Rozier, SOPH PG from Louisville. Rozier is 6'2 1/4, with a 6'8 1/4 wingspan. He is better defensively than these 2 other guys, but a much worse shooter. I value defensive point guards higher than most people, so I am guessing Indiana would like the other 2 on this list better than Rozier.
IF WE TAKE A WING/POINT GUARD IN THE FIRST ROUND
1. Richaun Holmes, SR PF from Bowling Green. 6'9 1/2 tall with a 7'1 1/2 wingspan. 243 lbs, NBA body already. 14.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG a night. Very mobile defensively and high activity level. He was a 4 year player, but is still just 21 years old. Rim protector, shot blocker, intense competitor. I like him if we pick a smaller player first.
2. Jordan Mickey, SOPH PF/C from LSU. 6'8 1/4 with a 7'3 1/4 wingpan. 238 lbs, with a strong NBA body already. Might be a good small ball center in this modern NBA game. 15.4 PPG and 9.9 RPG in the rugged SEC. Also a rim protector that was productive, getting 3.6 blocks a game. Mid range jumper is a strength. He has some physical similarities to David West, though I doubt he reaches that level.
3. Cody LaLanne, SR PF/C from UMASS. 6'8 1/4 with a massive 7'5 wingspan. 11.6 ppg and 9.5 RPG in college. Picked up the game late as he is from Haiti, and he is already 23 years old. NBA ready body and maturity.
Those are my 6 best guesses on players Indiana may have targeted tomorrow. That list would be cut in half after we make our first round pick I think, so then it will be a matter of comparing these 3 guys with any European draft/stash guys we may also like. I think all of those eventually stick in the league if everything breaks right for them. Holmes and Hanlon I think are the best of this group.
I also believe (though I haven't looked) that you can find interviews with some of these guys on Pacers.com. Hanlon I saw interviewed when he worked out here, and he seemed very mature and well spoken to me, a mature kid who won't be overwhelmed by the NBA lifestyle.
Hanlon or Holmes both look like potential Pacers to me in particular, as does Young potentially. Mickey I think likely will be gone by 43, as will Rozier I would guess.
Just my opinion of course!!
Tbird
-This list is not necessarily going to reflect who I personally would consider, as I did that yesterday on my big board article. This will instead attempt to predict what Indiana might ACTUALLY do tomorrow.
-This list has some consistencies. First, I looked for guys Indiana has shown interest in, either by working them out here, interviewing them at the Combine, seeing them up close at Portsmouth, or some combination of those.
-I have particularly focused on guys with no known health red flags, and no character concerns. I did rule one of my top targets out due to a health concern that I feel likely rules him out for Indiana (Larry Nance Jr). There may be others, but I don't have the access to find any of that out.
-I have no idea if this is true, but it makes sense to me: I think Indiana will make their pick at #11, then pick a player of a different type at #43. I expect us to take a front court player and a potential point guard with these 2 selections, but there is still no way to know which one they will select first.
-I believe Indiana will almost assuredly go with someone who is older, more mature, and more ready to contribute and fit in to their locker room. That seems to fit our organizational ethos.
-This is a quick list, not an in-depth scouting report. I'll have a full 2nd round scouting report on whoever we end up (assuming it is someone I can find out about or already have tape on) a few days after the draft.
-While Indiana clearly could take a "draft and stash" type player at #43, I am not going to predict that, simply because I don't see a likely candidate at this point that stayed in the draft. However, our Pete Philo is the most highly regarded international scout in the world, and I won't be surprised if they go that route with someone I have no clue about that is off the radar.
All that being said, I have narrowed my predictions to 6 individual players who I think are likely Pacers come late tomorrow night....3 front court guys, and 3 ballhandlers.
IF WE TAKE A BIG IN THE FIRST ROUND:
1. Olivier Hanlon, Junior PG/SG from Boston College. Hanlon is 6'4 1/4, with a 6'6 1/2 wingspan. He played for a terrible program at Chestnut Hill, but he himself played very well. He scored 19.5ppg last year, and was one of the leading BCS conference scorers in the country. He also is an extremely well spoken, high character guy that fits our culture well. He is not a pure PG, but nobody is at pick #43 anyway. I really like Hanlon as a 3rd PG 11th man type to start with, and I think he is very likely going to be our pick if we pick a front court guy in the first round.
2. Joe Young, SR PG/SG from Oregon. Young is 6'2, with a 6'5 wingspan. He was the 2015 Pac-10 player of the year, and scored 20.7 PPG. He is a scorer, aggressive, offensive type of scoring guard. He loafed a lot defensively in my opinion, but he showed flashes of being better that that, and he will be in a smaller role. NBA ready body and maturity. Good pick and roll player.
3. Terry Rozier, SOPH PG from Louisville. Rozier is 6'2 1/4, with a 6'8 1/4 wingspan. He is better defensively than these 2 other guys, but a much worse shooter. I value defensive point guards higher than most people, so I am guessing Indiana would like the other 2 on this list better than Rozier.
IF WE TAKE A WING/POINT GUARD IN THE FIRST ROUND
1. Richaun Holmes, SR PF from Bowling Green. 6'9 1/2 tall with a 7'1 1/2 wingspan. 243 lbs, NBA body already. 14.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG a night. Very mobile defensively and high activity level. He was a 4 year player, but is still just 21 years old. Rim protector, shot blocker, intense competitor. I like him if we pick a smaller player first.
2. Jordan Mickey, SOPH PF/C from LSU. 6'8 1/4 with a 7'3 1/4 wingpan. 238 lbs, with a strong NBA body already. Might be a good small ball center in this modern NBA game. 15.4 PPG and 9.9 RPG in the rugged SEC. Also a rim protector that was productive, getting 3.6 blocks a game. Mid range jumper is a strength. He has some physical similarities to David West, though I doubt he reaches that level.
3. Cody LaLanne, SR PF/C from UMASS. 6'8 1/4 with a massive 7'5 wingspan. 11.6 ppg and 9.5 RPG in college. Picked up the game late as he is from Haiti, and he is already 23 years old. NBA ready body and maturity.
Those are my 6 best guesses on players Indiana may have targeted tomorrow. That list would be cut in half after we make our first round pick I think, so then it will be a matter of comparing these 3 guys with any European draft/stash guys we may also like. I think all of those eventually stick in the league if everything breaks right for them. Holmes and Hanlon I think are the best of this group.
I also believe (though I haven't looked) that you can find interviews with some of these guys on Pacers.com. Hanlon I saw interviewed when he worked out here, and he seemed very mature and well spoken to me, a mature kid who won't be overwhelmed by the NBA lifestyle.
Hanlon or Holmes both look like potential Pacers to me in particular, as does Young potentially. Mickey I think likely will be gone by 43, as will Rozier I would guess.
Just my opinion of course!!
Tbird
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