Five prospects Indiana Pacers might draft with the No. 11 pick
Larry Bird's got his work cut out for him. After a season spent fighting in vain through injuries and issues of declining talent as they yearned for a bottom playoff spot, his Indiana Pacers are in flux.
Had Indiana taken it easier on Paul George and Co. and taken a loss on the season in the name of tomorrow, they might be picking higher in this draft. At No. 11, they have to get somewhat creative.
Jerian Grant, Notre Dame
In-state sentimentalists, get your hopes up. Jerian had a positive workout with Indy at combine time, and the nephew of Horace Grant also happens to be one of the better point guard prospects in this draft. Grant's stellar performance in March Madness might have been the spark to carry him over into a quality beginning as a pro.
Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin
Like Grant, Kaminsky also saw his stock shoot up by playing great ball in the tourney. With the Pacers and Roy Hibbert facing an uncertain future together, the more offensively minded Kaminsky is worth more than a look for Bird as the potential center of the future in Indianapolis.
Myles Turner, Texas
Add Turner to the list of potential Hibbert replacements. A seven-footer who's gained steam with scouts in recent days, Myles is an instinctively gifted scorer and rebounder. What he lacks in mobility, he's made up for in I.Q. Can that stay true at the next level, though?
Devin Booker, Kentucky
Booker is a choice the Pacers will look hard at if they're seeking more spacing and shooting... as they should be. He also has above-average size for a shooting guard, which means he could fit into the length-centric defensive sets of coach Frank Vogel with some time and training.
Trey Lyles, Kentucky
While Lyles is young, and perhaps a bit of a project, the silver lining is that his ceiling is sky high. Having played behind Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns at Kentucky, his time on the floor was lesser than it would have been almost anywhere else in his freshman year, so his potential is, in many ways, untapped. With Indiana's future with David West as murky as it is with Hibbert, expect a power forward like Lyles to be under the scope.
