Current Roster
PG: Monte Ellis/Edmond Sumner
SG: Lance Stephenson/Joe Young
SF: Paul George/Glenn Robinson III/Georges Niang
PF: Thaddeus Young/TJ Leaf/Rakeem Christmas
C: Myles Turner/Al Jefferson/Ike Anigbogu/Kevin Seraphin
2017 NBA Free Agents
Unrestricted
G Jeff Teague
G CJ Miles
C Lavoy Allen
G Aaron Brooks
Restricted
None
Who They Drafted
1-18 TJ Leaf, PF UCLA
2-47 Ike Anigbogu, C UCLA
2-52 Edmond Sumner, PG Xavier
It is difficult to evaluate how exactly the Pacers will look, due to the fact that Paul George and other pieces might be moved before the start of the season. The Pacers did take three risky prospects however, players that could hit and turn their future around, or miss and set them back even more. Their first rounder, TJ Leaf is a skilled offensive player that theoretically would be a nice fit in their frontcourt, though he'll need to work on several aspects of his game. Leaf made .466% of his threes last season, however it was only on 58 attempts and his free throw percentage was poor (.679%) for good shooter. I think it is safe to soon his is more of a 35%+ shooter than an elite one, however the rest of his offense plays, that should be enough. Though not particularly long, Leaf is bouncy and plays with aggression on offense, making him a good threat attacking the rim off a couple dribbles or in the screen-and-roll, though he isn't a great finisher yet. His biggest flash offensively is when he'll grab-and-go with a defensive rebound. He is also a solid passer, but none of his offensive skills really stand out one way or the other, he's just good at each and if one slips, particularly the shooting, it might be limiting to his game. Defensively, Leaf is a trainwreck and though he plays hard, he has a lot to learn and lacks special physical tools, which makes it questionable that he'll ever end up being even average defensively. On the glass, Leaf's activity makes him a good offensive rebounder but he is just about average a defensive rebounder. Theoretically, Leaf's shooting and passing would be a nice fit next to Myles Turner, who could also cover up some of his defensive liabilities. It would have been nice for the Pacers to draft a better defensive rebounder (such as John Collins) to play with Turner, who is poor in that area. This pick will make a lot more sense if the Pacers trade Thad Young, who is actually pretty similar to Leaf offensively, but a much better defender.
With their next pick, the Pacers drafted Leaf's college teammate, who most projected to go before him, but fell to concerns over a potential degenerative knee issue. If his health holds out, Anigbogu still has a ways to go before he'll be ready as a contributor, despite the fact that his physical abilities are NBA ready. Standing nearly 6-10 and a chiseled 252 pounds, Anigbogu has 7-6+ wingspan and 9-2+ standing reach, all great numbers for a big man. However, despite the fact that he moves well for his size and can really explode with a chance to load up, his vertical explosiveness leads something to be desired. Offensively, he is at his best grabbing rebounds and finishing lobs and drop-offs, but isn't going to score with any kind of range or create his own shot. Defensively, his ability to move and block shots give him a high upside. Normally, it would be weird for a team that has a future star at center to draft another big man that can't play alongside him, however in the second round when Anigbogu had fallen to them (and for injury, not on-court reasons) that is makes total sense. It was too good to pass up. At least if Anigbogu reaches his potential it will give the Pacers 48 quality minutes at center.
With their last second round pick, the Pacers took another injury risk in Edmond Sumner, who probably would have been an early second round pick if not for an serious knee injury that ended his Junior season. What makes the pick of Sumner especially risky is that almost all of his game is based of his athletic ability and any drop off in that regard could be devastating to his abilities. When healthy, Sumner was one of the best athletes in college basketball, making him a formidable threat attacking the basket and getting out in the open floor as a 6-6 combo guard. Sumner played point guard at Xavier, but isn't a natural playmaker or passer, projecting him as more of combo guard that can play a little point but is better off with another playmaker on the floor. The biggest question mark for Sumner is his shooting and finishing ability, as he struggled to score efficiently from everywhere on the floor and will need to get better across the board in order to make it in the NBA. If he can become stronger, Sumner could be a very good defensive player, capable of guarding multiple positions, again provided the athletic ability returns. In theory, Sumner makes sense with Monte Ellis, another combo guard, however Sumner would have to improve his shooting for that to work.
What They Need Going Forward
First things first, the Pacers need to get Paul George situation sorted out, which means taking the best offer available and moving on into a rebuild around Myles Turner and whatever pieces they get back. Not knowing what players they get, it is hard to project what extra moves they make. However, with George leaving it wouldn't make much sense for them to resign the 29 year-old Jeff Teague for any kind of long term deal, which means that they'll need a point guard, unless they get another one back in the trade, and even then they will. A Thad Young for Ricky Rubio swap would make a lot of sense for both teams and their years and money are about exactly even. Rubio is still fairly young and his passing ability and leadership skills would be ideal to mentor a young team.
Follow me on Twitter @double_tech
No comments:
Post a Comment