The Indiana Pacers have the extreme luxury of three first-round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. What are the best (realistic) hypothetical outcomes?
The Indiana Pacers face a pivotal summer after limping to the finish line in April. The final result of 35-47 and 11th place in the East wasn't the most inspiring, but the Pacers did look like a genuine postseason threat early in the year. Injuries and the inevitable inconsistencies of youth got in the way, but the Pacers aren't as far from contention as their record might suggest.
Tyrese Haliburton is ideally the foundation upon which the next decade of Pacers basketball will be built. He emerged as arguably the league's best playmaker last season, finishing second in assists per game and dramatically improving as a pull-up shooter and driver. He has many All-Star berths in his future.
The Pacers also re-upped Myles Turner and received productive stretches from last year's No. 6 pick, Bennedict Mathurin. Now, Indiana owns the No. 7 pick — along with the No. 26 and No. 29 picks, for good measure. Indiana could always pursue a consolidation trade, but with the new CBA looming, there's appeal in the idea of adding three affordable young players under long-term team control.
Perfect NBA Draft combinations for the Indiana Pacers
3. Cam Whitmore, Andre Jackson Jr., Kris Murray
Cam Whitmore was the least consistent and productive of the projected top-7 picks last season, but his lukewarm production at Villanova shouldn't scare off the Pacers. Whitmore is a powerful athlete on the wing, much stronger than your typical 18-year-old and capable of explosive forays to the rim.
He lags behind the likes of Brandon Miller or Jarace Walker in terms of polish, but Whitmore puts consistent pressure on the rim and he's pretty high-feel for such a dynamic athlete. He would be well positioned for immediate success with Indiana, orbiting the Haliburton star as a slasher, cutter, and vertical threat. He should bolster the Pacers' wing defense in due time.
Andre Jackson won the title with UConn and should be ready to contribute day one for a Pacers team looking to win games sooner than later. He's not going to score much, but Jackson is a lively transition playmaker who operates with tremendous offensive awareness and basketball I.Q. His ability to set up teammates and make the small winning plays could earn him an immediate home in the second unit.
Kris Murray, twin brother of last year's No. 4 pick Keegan Murray, has a similar baseline appeal when projecting toward the NBA. He's 6-foot-8 with a smooth 3-point stroke and some defensive chops. He's not as dynamic offensively as his brother, but Murray can still set screens, cut, and make quick passing reads in the flow of the offense. He would give the Pacers some much-needed support at the four spot.
2. Taylor Hendricks, Dariq Whitehead, Brice Sensabaugh
The Pacers grab Taylor Hendricks in the No. 7 spot, arguably the season's biggest pre-draft riser. Hendricks began his freshman year at UCF mostly off the radar, but he quickly caught the attention of scouts with his defensive playmaking and buttery 3-point shot.
The bulk of the pre-draft conversation with Indiana has centered on their need for a proper power forward to share the frontcourt with Myles Turner. Hendricks checks that box. He doesn't offer much upside as a self-creator, but he's already an elite spot-up shooter and a bouncy lob threat who will make himself available to finish plays. On the defensive end, he's going to block shots from the weak side and he's capable of switching 1-4. He'd have a lot of freedom to roam and cause problems with Turner looming in the paint.
And here's the thing about Dariq Whitehead: he's on the same level as Hendricks as a prospect. He might tumble to the 26-29 range due to injury concerns after undergoing his second foot surgery of the year. The Pacers have three picks and can afford to gamble on a 6-foot-7 wing who shot 42 percent from 3 at Duke and who, prior to the injury, looked like one of the most complete offensive players in his class.
Brice Sensabaugh offers a few interesting parallels to Whitehead, only he's a less promising athlete with a far more productive college résumé. Sensabaugh was the best freshman scorer in college basketball. He's an electric shot-maker who needs very little room to stick a jumper in his defender's face. There are significant defensive concerns and Sensabaugh didn't show much inclination to create for others at Ohio State, but he will rope 3s and get buckets. The Pacers could use another self-creation boost beyond Halliburton and Mathurin.
1. Jarace Walker, Brandin Podziemski, Jordan Walsh
Jarace Walker isn't the same 3-point shooter as Hendricks, but he can shoot and he should get better in time. Turner spaces the floor from the five spot and, in Haliburton, the Pacers have an elite pick-and-roll partner for Walker built in. The Pacers would put his finishing skills to good use. Walker is also comfortable facing up from the elbow or working two-man actions on the perimeter. He's a good passer for his position, but he's also capable of simply using his 250-pound frame to bulldoze his way to the rim for two points.
That being said, the Pacers should feel comfortable picking Walker in the No. 7 spot because of his defense. He's an absolute monster athlete, listed at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. He has the strength to battle bigs in the post and the lateral quickness to stick with guards on the perimeter. Not many NBA players can actually defend 1-5; Walker will join the very short list. Walker, empowered defensively by a rim protector of Turner's caliber, is a scary thought.
Brandin Podziemski has been getting more buzz lately after his strong showing at the Combine, both in athletic testing and in scrimmages. There are concerns tied to his lack of high-level competition at Santa Clara, but Podziemski is a crafty playmaker with deep pull-up range on his jumper. He's unabashedly confident and extremely smart; Podz would have value with the second unit.
Jordan Walsh is a five-star freshman who showed a remarkable willingness to buy into his role at Arkansas, where he shared the floor with several high-profile recruits (including potential lottery picks Nick Smith and Anthony Black). Walsh, a tremendous athlete with positional size and a 7-foot-3 wingspan, competes his tail off defensively. The Pacers would have quite the little defensive trio with Turner, Walker, and Walsh. Perimeter defense was an area of need last season.
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