Pacers Workouts Thread

[Grang33r]

I didn't know if you guys wanted all the workout posts in the Draft thread or in its separate thread, I didn't want to clutter that thread up more then it already is.

per Mike Wells' twitter-

Aubrey Coleman, Dominique Jones, Gani Lawal, Sylven Landesberg, Larry Sanders & Mikhail Torrence will workout for Pacers on Monday

Link- http://twitter.com/Wells222/status/13990539811

We'll see RealGM fan favorite Larry Sanders in the house on the first day of work outs which should get some people excited. Also, a guy i didn't know almost anything about until that "who do you want in the 2nd round" thread, Mikhail Torrence is also coming, i'm excited to see what he has. I've been reading a lot about him since people mentioned him on this forum. Seems like a very interesting prospect.

Here's a Indy Cornrows piece on him.... http://www.indycornrows.com/2010/5/9/14 ... es-pick-57

[PR07]

I like Gani Lawai a lot. He's always impressed me when I've seen him play.

[ardthomp]

Coleman, Jones, and Landesberg can all add some fire power to the backcourt. Jones is a slasher that can get to the FT line..I really enjoy his game.

Interested to see how the three bigger guys stack up with each other.

[mizzoupacers]

Glad that Sanders is on the list.

Jones and Torrance are interesting second-round possibilities for the Pacers.

[Grang33r]

Look at this... Coleman-

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEuGOM4RK30[/youtube]

LOL

[Grangerous]

Looks like coleman could be a little dirty...that can be a good thing imo, if it doesn't get carried away.

[DWCP2]

lot of these guys are top 40 guys who could be there with the Pacers 2nd round draft choice, but this also tells us what they are looking for....combo guards (which is about half of this list to date) and a body inside that can get physical. question is which is the bigger priority?

[Gremz]

I thnk both are priority, but you must go with value in this draft. If there is a chance to get someone we want, they should be taken regardless of position. No Hayward of course.

[Moooose]

Thanks to Grang33r for starting this thread.
I'm a bit surprised about the combo guards on that list, they're on the same mold, undersized combo guards/wingmen capable of scoring in bunches. Seems to me we might be looking for some firepower in the bench.
The only thing that worries me about Sanders is his offense. On the positive side, people say he could be a Theo Ratliff, on the negative side, Ratliff was never an offensive player. If we could polish his offense, maybe Sanders could be a solid pro. i don't like him to be another Solomon Jones. If we're looking to trade down to the mid first round, i think there is a good possibility he could end up in Indiana.

[DWCP2]

Well when you compare successful PG's in O'Briens system, combo guards tend to stand out more then anything. Jack, Watson, and Price, all three being the latest success stories. Yeah they never average high yielding assists under the circumstances, but the passing, open look, green light to take and make shot system more then makes up for it, esp. with all the ball handlers the Pacers have.

[PR07]

I think the Pacers are just looking for guys who can create their own shot. A lot of times, these players are labeled as combo guards.

[Grang33r]

I just got home from a looong loooooong day and have no seen any of these yet and won't tonight, but Pacers.com has interviews posted from guys who came for visits today.... check it out-

http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/draft_central_2010.html

[Moooose]

Just re-upping this thread.
Today we had Epke Udoh, Hassan Whiteside, Daniel Orton, Lance Stephenson, Derrick Caracter, and Chris Kramer in our 2nd pre-draft workouts.
A brief highlight:
http://www.nba.com/pacers/video/2010/06/01/workouthighlights100601wmv-1334852/index.html#

I'm pretty confident about Udoh's potential but this short clip showed how he miss easy jumpers from just inside the arc. Whiteside's size is pretty impressing but the clip showed he's gotta work on his finishes and inside scoring. Caracter's got a pretty inside game, he's been doing that since HS and he showed readiness to be a pro. There wasn't much to see in a 2 minute video clip but i was quite dissappointed because i expected to see 2 minutes full of Udoh and Stephenson highlights.
I hope they could post maybe a 5 minute video for each player.

Next up, this could be the most exciting batch so far:
Eric Bledsoe
Avery Bradley
Sherron Collins
Jordan Crawford
A.J. Slaughter
Willie Warren

[mizzoupacers]

Of those guys coming in today, Bledsoe is easily the most interesting to me. I'll bet he's a real point guard; it's just a question of how good is he.

Collins is a real point guard too, and I think a bit of a sleeper in this draft, believe it or not (never thought anyone from KU could be a "sleeper"). The Pacers could do a lot worse than to take him at #40, if he's still available there.

Although they are pg-sized, Bradley, Crawford, and Warren aren't point guards, and I suspect they never will be, so I'd guess the Pacers' interest in them is limited. I think Crawford's the best of the three--maybe he could find a niche as a scorer off the bench, which would be worth a second-round pick for sure.

I have no clue about Slaughter.

[glasket]

Interesting to see the impressions from the guards workout.
Bledsoe, Collins, Bradley and Crawford interest me.

I heard Avery Bradley has been rising up the charts and could play point.
Obviously Bledoe and Collins are PGs already.

I wonder if there will be a video of this workout or at least Bruno's or someones impressions posted.
Also wonder if X.Henry will come in for a workout.

[DWCP2]

Bradley to me would be interesting. Yeah a lot of people say he's two years away from being an effective PG and could have used the time, but with his skills shooting and O'Brien's pass first system he should be fine. Plus he plays shutdown defense. I think we may have found our Jarrett Jack in Bradley.

[mizzoupacers]

^ I don't expect O'Brien to be around past next season, so I think he's irrelevant here.

And I'm skeptical of Bradley's supposed "shut-down defense"; I sure didn't see that when I saw him play in person.

To me, Bradley is about the most overhpyed guy in the draft right now. Here's what I think he is: a two guard in a point guard's body, without the scoring punch you'd ordinarily expect from a guy like that. IF he's a great defender, which I'm not sure he is, then at best you've got a defensive specialist--is that really the best you can do with a lottery pick?

[Boneman2]

Hopefully Bird will get his head out of his ass and start taking risk again. It's not his fault that Shawne was aiding and abetting his criminal friends. Nor is it his fault that Tinsley was a modern day 'Billy tha Kid, or that Ron was uncontrollable, and that Jax was active in the Crips.

Regardless, if he sees something in a young player that may be a red-flag, he needs to determine if it is worth risking in order to further develop that player. Hopefully he is not gun-shy and believes that his staff can create the atmosphere necessary to make a positive impression with younger players, to lead them down the right path. Our organization did a great job with Bender and Harrington.

I just don't want to pass up a potential all-star for another role-player.

[fj20]

I think Udoh is the way to go...i think to many people are high on Bledsoe cause the explosion by Rondo this off season...yet again i mean who really knows its all about the right fit with the right team...ahhh just let the draft be here....21 days!