Draft Grades: Winners/Losers

[Time for Change]

Cavaliers: C
2.49: Emoni Bates

I know it’s only a 2nd round pick, but this is an F. Bates main skill is a high volume jump shooter and he’s going to be like the 10th option, at best, on any NBA team. Very few things are guaranteed in the draft, but one of them is Bates won’t be an NBA caliber player.

[MemphisX]

Grizzlies get a B-. Love the GG pick, hate they passed on TJD.

[eyriq]

Jazz quickly stick out to me, getting Hendricks at 9 (6th) and Keyonte at 16 (4th) were both great coups for Ainge, not a Brice Sensabaugh guy tho but it's fine for an end of R1 pick

Orlando getting AB at 6 is great for them, Howard at 11 though was a reach esp if you're looking for a shooter and both Dick/Hawkins were right there to be had

not too many losers, probably most of the teams that passed up on Cam Whitmore unless there is some huge medical redflag or something, Charlotte taking Miller over Scoot I just can't justify so that's an L for them...also I understand the Amen pick for Houston but AB was there to be had for them who would've been just an incredible fit next to Green/Eason/Bari/Alpy so that's a small L for them imo.

I was praying for Keyonte at 11 but they wanted size...

[Nuntius]

Grizzlies get a B-. Love the GG pick, hate they passed on TJD.

TJD wanted a guarantee that he'd make a team's roster and that he wouldn't be on a two-way contract. That's why a lot of teams passed.

[Nuntius]

I have been a Pacer fan since I was about 6 years old going all the way back to the ABA. I've watched this team take some good players in the draft and I've watched them botch it up. I'd like to think that Walker was a great pick, IDK time will tell. The Pacers front office is pretty good when it comes to trading, but they have had a habit of picking 2nd round talent in the 1st round. I can go all the way back to 1993 on that statement. But will only go to 2017, at #18 they got TJ Leaf, 2018 at 23 Aaron Holiday and 2019 they took Goga at #18. This year they took Sheppherd at #26. Not far from the 2nd round, and this was guard #8 for the current roster.

Then there is the trade that moved them from #40 to 47 and they got $4.3 million for Mr Simon's bank account! Then drafted some guy that will never play in the NBA but he's a guard too. Then there was 55 who cares!

Pacers draft grade C-

Sheppard is 6'6 with a 6'8 wingspan. He can easily play the 3. He's a 2/3 or a small wing, if you prefer it that way. Calling him a guard like he's PG/SG isn't exactly accurate, imo.

Fully agreed with the trade down and the Mojave King pick, though. Especially the trade down was absolutely horrible. It cost us a player, imo.

[clyde21]

Jazz quickly stick out to me, getting Hendricks at 9 (6th) and Keyonte at 16 (4th) were both great coups for Ainge, not a Brice Sensabaugh guy tho but it's fine for an end of R1 pick

Orlando getting AB at 6 is great for them, Howard at 11 though was a reach esp if you're looking for a shooter and both Dick/Hawkins were right there to be had

not too many losers, probably most of the teams that passed up on Cam Whitmore unless there is some huge medical redflag or something, Charlotte taking Miller over Scoot I just can't justify so that's an L for them...also I understand the Amen pick for Houston but AB was there to be had for them who would've been just an incredible fit next to Green/Eason/Bari/Alpy so that's a small L for them imo.

I was praying for Keyonte at 11 but they wanted size...

KG would've definitely been one of my targets for them at 11, but I understand that they didn't considering you guys already have Fultz and he's a similar player in some respects

[basketballwacko2]

I have been a Pacer fan since I was about 6 years old going all the way back to the ABA. I've watched this team take some good players in the draft and I've watched them botch it up. I'd like to think that Walker was a great pick, IDK time will tell. The Pacers front office is pretty good when it comes to trading, but they have had a habit of picking 2nd round talent in the 1st round. I can go all the way back to 1993 on that statement. But will only go to 2017, at #18 they got TJ Leaf, 2018 at 23 Aaron Holiday and 2019 they took Goga at #18. This year they took Sheppherd at #26. Not far from the 2nd round, and this was guard #8 for the current roster.

Then there is the trade that moved them from #40 to 47 and they got $4.3 million for Mr Simon's bank account! Then drafted some guy that will never play in the NBA but he's a guard too. Then there was 55 who cares!

Pacers draft grade C-

Sheppard is 6'6 with a 6'8 wingspan. He can easily play the 3. He's a 2/3 or a small wing, if you prefer it that way. Calling him a guard like he's PG/SG isn't exactly accurate, imo.

Fully agreed with the trade down and the Mojave King pick, though. Especially the trade down was absolutely horrible. It cost us a player, imo.

No he's a guard just like Duarte, Nesmith and Mathurin same size, playing out of position there was no need for another 6'5.5'' player on this team. He's from Belmont? Never heard of it, had to look it up, so he played against power houses like Southern Illinois and Evansville oh yeah Drake too!

He may end up being a pretty good player but who's getting bumped out of the lineup for him to get minutes? If he'd been picked with the at 40 I wouldn't have complained. But I'm tired of this team picking these guys way to early because larry bird loves them. Wasting 2nds is common in the NBA but pissing away a #1 is stupid. The Pacers do it on a regular basis.

Like I said in my other post I'm not really high on Walker, he might be ok and he will get the minutes. My big worry on Walker is that he's another Rui Hachimura or Kevin Knox type.

[BostonCouchGM]

Pacers do have a slew of average-sized 2/3 and one of them will likely be playing the 3 leaving them undersized. However, Haliburton is a big guard and Turner is a good shot blocker so it could work. I'm sure there'll be a consolidation trade with 2-3 of them heading out for help at the 3/4. Either way, they're a very deep team now and if they try and want to, they have enough talent to sneak into the playoffs. They needed a glue guy with size like Walker so it's a good pick imho.

[Nuntius]

I have been a Pacer fan since I was about 6 years old going all the way back to the ABA. I've watched this team take some good players in the draft and I've watched them botch it up. I'd like to think that Walker was a great pick, IDK time will tell. The Pacers front office is pretty good when it comes to trading, but they have had a habit of picking 2nd round talent in the 1st round. I can go all the way back to 1993 on that statement. But will only go to 2017, at #18 they got TJ Leaf, 2018 at 23 Aaron Holiday and 2019 they took Goga at #18. This year they took Sheppherd at #26. Not far from the 2nd round, and this was guard #8 for the current roster.

Then there is the trade that moved them from #40 to 47 and they got $4.3 million for Mr Simon's bank account! Then drafted some guy that will never play in the NBA but he's a guard too. Then there was 55 who cares!

Pacers draft grade C-

Sheppard is 6'6 with a 6'8 wingspan. He can easily play the 3. He's a 2/3 or a small wing, if you prefer it that way. Calling him a guard like he's PG/SG isn't exactly accurate, imo.

Fully agreed with the trade down and the Mojave King pick, though. Especially the trade down was absolutely horrible. It cost us a player, imo.

No he's a guard just like Duarte, Nesmith and Mathurin same size, playing out of position there was no need for another 6'5.5'' player on this team.

All 3 of the guys you mentioned are wings. Small wings, 2/3s but wings nonetheless. They are all more than capable of playing SF.

He's from Belmont? Never heard of it, had to look it up, so he played against power houses like Southern Illinois and Evansville oh yeah Drake too!

Yes, he played in a mid-major program but that's irrelevant. Lots of very good players have come out of mid-major schools.

He may end up being a pretty good player but who's getting bumped out of the lineup for him to get minutes? If he'd been picked with the at 40 I wouldn't have complained. But I'm tired of this team picking these guys way to early because larry bird loves them. Wasting 2nds is common in the NBA but pissing away a #1 is stupid. The Pacers do it on a regular basis.

Duarte is getting bumped out of the lineup. He was a horrible pick and we should have never picked him. Time to cut our losses and move.

Sheppard is a RC pick through and through, imo. Carlisle is gonna love him and I believe that he'll average around 22 MPG for us this year.

Like I said in my other post I'm not really high on Walker, he might be ok and he will get the minutes. My big worry on Walker is that he's another Rui Hachimura or Kevin Knox type.

Walker has elite feel for the game. The guys you mentioned don't. Walker will be much closer to a Millsap than a Rui, imo.

[basketballwacko2]

Duarte was a good pick for the team that picked him. That team was taken apart and 4 new guards came in.


I don't care about this term "wing" that everyone is using, wings are in my KFC basket. The Pacers are and will continue to be the worst rebounding team in the NBA and it's not Turners fault. It's because there are no PF's on the team. I don't care what you say, Walker is only 6'6.5'' so unless he's the next charles barkley he looks more like a bulky SF. I'm not confident that this teams front office knows what sport they are in.

Say no to PJ Washington and no to Grant Williams too.

I was right in 2017 about TJ Leaf and in 2018 about Holiday. I was fairly neutral on Goga but they should have left him in Europe so he could play rather than bringing him over and letting him sit. All the masterminds on the Pacers board told me TJ was what we needed and he's a modern NBA pf. Well now he's playing in China!

The 2022-23 season started off with a surprise and the team winning more than expected. I don't think that's happening this year unless a major move in FA or through a trade is made. No more signing and trading for teams RFA's. The brogdon deal was stupid, and that offer to Ayton last year was just not necessary unless the Pacers were trying to mess up the Suns who had to match, now no team in the league wants him.

Remember about 3 years ago they were about to S&T with the Celtics for Hayward who was a UFA and they go saved by the even dumber FO of the Hornets when they gave him that absurd contract!!

[basketballwacko2]

Pacers do have a slew of average-sized 2/3 and one of them will likely be playing the 3 leaving them undersized. However, Haliburton is a big guard and Turner is a good shot blocker so it could work. I'm sure there'll be a consolidation trade with 2-3 of them heading out for help at the 3/4. Either way, they're a very deep team now and if they try and want to, they have enough talent to sneak into the playoffs. They needed a glue guy with size like Walker so it's a good pick imho.

Multiple times last season they gave up 70 points in a half and 140 in a game the defense is terrible and it wasn't helped in the draft. They are terrible rebounding because they are too small and don't have anyone who wants the rebounds. Turner is the only real defender on the team the rest of them are better suited for the WNBA where they just run up and down the court and throw the ball at the basket.

[Nuntius]

Multiple times last season they gave up 70 points in a half and 140 in a game the defense is terrible and it wasn't helped in the draft.

We literally picked the best defender left on the board and one of the best defenders in the draft class in Jarace Walker. Sheppard is not a sieve either.

[Nuntius]

Duarte was a good pick for the team that picked him. That team was taken apart and 4 new guards came in.

Nah. Duarte made no sense for our situation even at the time. The Duarte team is one of the few picks that I hated from the get go.

I don't care about this term "wing" that everyone is using, wings are in my KFC basket. The Pacers are and will continue to be the worst rebounding team in the NBA and it's not Turners fault. It's because there are no PF's on the team. I don't care what you say, Walker is only 6'6.5'' so unless he's the next charles barkley he looks more like a bulky SF. I'm not confident that this teams front office knows what sport they are in.

Walker is 6'8 in shoes. Modern day PFs are anywhere from 6'7 to 6'10. 6'8 is not small for a PF. Walker also has a 7'2 wingspan and a bulky frame. Unlike what we had last year, on the team, Walker actually is a true PF in today's league.

[petebraun0]

Pretty good draft from all teams. The first 20 picks were basically a good from my perspective except for...

Bucks: ???
2.36: Andre Jackson Jr
2.58: Chris Livingston

Bulls: A
2.35: Julian Phillips

Warriors: A
1.19: Brandin Podziemski
2.57: Trayce Jackson-Davis

Wizards: C, Bilal was a reach but it wasn't that outrageous, probably not a F
1.7: Bilal Coulibaly
2.42: Tristan Vukcevic

Wow, as a Chicago Bulls fan, thanks for A.
I am not familiar with Julian Phillips, but he was a much
better shooting in high school, he is an amazing athlete, and our GM and scouting staff were
very high on him and went out of their way to get him; and he is amazing at defense.
If he regains his shooting confidence, he will be a nice pickup for us. Maybe Phillips and Zach can
work out together and work on shooting together.

[Xman]

[quote="Nuntius"][quote="basketballwacko2"]Duarte was a good pick for the team that picked him. That team was taken apart and 4 new guards came in.[/quote]

Nah. Duarte made no sense for our situation even at the time. The Duarte team is one of the few picks that I hated from the get go.

[quote="basketballwacko2"]
I don't care about this term "wing" that everyone is using, wings are in my KFC basket. The Pacers are and will continue to be the worst rebounding team in the NBA and it's not Turners fault. It's because there are no PF's on the team. I don't care what you say, Walker is only 6'6.5'' so unless he's the next charles barkley he looks more like a bulky SF. I'm not confident that this teams front office knows what sport they are in.[/quote]

Walker is 6'8 in shoes. Modern day PFs are anywhere from 6'7 to 6'10. 6'8 is not small for a PF. Walker also has a 7'2 wingspan and a bulky frame. Unlike what we had last year, on the team, Walker actually is a true PF in today's league.[/quote]

Yeah, the shoe thing has made true height misleading.
I ama UH guy and can say that Indy will be very happy with Walker. He is a true strong power forward capable of covering wings and centers. He flexed from point forward to defensive specialist to scorer in different games. Awesome pick.

[Nuntius]

Yeah, the shoe thing has made true height misleading.
I ama UH guy and can say that Indy will be very happy with Walker. He is a true strong power forward capable of covering wings and centers. He flexed from point forward to defensive specialist to scorer in different games. Awesome pick.

Thanks for this reply. I do have a question for you since you followed Houston (I don't really follow NCAA basketball during the season). I know that Walker took a lot of floaters and runners last season. Was this caused by the fact that he almost always played next to another big who usually occupied the dunker's spot?

[basketballwacko2]

Yeah, the shoe thing has made true height misleading.
I ama UH guy and can say that Indy will be very happy with Walker. He is a true strong power forward capable of covering wings and centers. He flexed from point forward to defensive specialist to scorer in different games. Awesome pick.

I don't know if Walker will turn into anything or not, now the team has gone out and spent money on another undersized player in Brown and traded to get Toppin.

Between the draft and these trades they get a D. Toppin might be ok but couldn't get playing time in NY so he seem like a draft pick to me.

The Pacers could have fixed their forward problems in the draft and then dealt with the over 15 roster issue in the summer with trades or buyouts. They could have took Julian Strawther at 26 then Jackson-Davis at 40 if they hadn't chosen to sell the pick and move down to 47, but still could have gotten Jackson-Davis at 47 if they'd give him a guaranteed contract. We're gonna watch Stawther become the better player with the Nuggets and TJD will prove the NBA teams who passed on him were wrong especially the Indiana Pacers who passed 3 times.

Wasted opportunities are why you see the same teams in the lottery year after year.

[Xman]

He was a utility guy filling in where needed. UH was overloaded with distance shooters so he filled the gap. Does have a shot though. Just was not his role.
Strong with low body fat. Great attitude. Had a meltdown one game and Sampson put him on the bench to get his head right. He adjusted and came back strong. Some would have sulked.
He was so versatile that he didn’t establish a “thing” like many do. Waiting to see how he excels because he will. Could focus on D since it’s good already. Just hoping Indy gives him a chance to shine.

[Xman]

And, yes. UH had a couple of guys that took the dunker spot.