Well....crap. There goes the Pacers slim chances of making the playoffs this season.
BOTH Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy are going to be out for an extended period of time due to their respective injuries.
Granger has a partially torn tendon in his right foot and will miss at least 10 days, but could miss up to three weeks.
Dunleavy's knee is constantly sore and is out indefinitely until more medical opinions are formed.
With this news, I am going to go ahead and start thinking about who the Pacers should pick in the lottery in the upcoming draft. I don't really see Indiana making a run for the playoffs now, especially with the teams top two scorers out.
This could be a blessing in disguise though. Brandon Rush will get increased playing time in meaningful minutes, so his development should go improve. He will have the opportunity to be a go to guy during certain stretches of the games, so he is definitely going to have to step it up.
Another guy that is going to have to step up is Travis Diener. His shot has been off (for him) since he has arrived in Indiana and now is the time for him to start getting consistent enough minutes to figure out his stroke. With TJ Ford, Jarrett Jack, and Marquis Daniels sure to log heavy minutes, Diener is going to get his fair share as well and needs to be ready to provide some perimeter help.
With all of that said, who should the Pacers take in the draft if they are in the top 10? Top five? I'm making a list as of right now.
|
Comments
I agree with you on Harden. I really, really like him a ton because of his explosiveness.
I think Jordan Hill is very intriguing because of his quickness for a big man. That sometimes gets him into trouble though (fouls, turnovers), so he has to learn to harness that. He is very strong though, which is a plus for such a young player.
I've been keeping an eye on Al Farouq Aminu from Wake Forest and he could be an interesting pick as well.
Other guys I like (that aren't already mentioned), but not necessarily in the lottery:
Darren Collison, Wayne Ellington, Chase Budinger, Marcus Landry (2nd rounder), Jeff Pendergraph, and Jon Brockman.
Dude after the tournament, you and me should do a back-and-forth discussion on the draft. I think that'd be sweet.
Hell, lets do it for football too, and add some Bruce Paine to the mix.
The Painester and I are going to be doing something for football for the Colts, but I'm sure we can twist his arm just hard enough to spew some extra knowledge about his draft thoughts!
Email me and I'll forward to Paine and we can start on some ideas.
The Pacers are in an interesting position because O'Brien really isn't letting the young guys play too much. I suspect Rush will see the floor more now that Dunleavy and Granger are out but I have to believe most young guys don't want to come to the Pacers.
BUT, if I'm the Pacers, I'm looking at Greg Monroe and DaJuan Summers (listen for the buzz around him near the draft) from Georgetown or Patrick Patterson if he measures out at a true 6'8" if they are around picks 8-14.
Keep an eye out for a sneaky Brandon Jennings pick if they get higher than #8.
No to Harden, no to Teague, no to Hill and no to Mullens and Budinger.
This may be the weakest NBA Draft in a long time.
I wouldn't be disappointed with Monroe or Jennings for that matter. I'm unsure of Summers. He seems to me like Clark and Williams from Louisville. I think I'll have to take a longer look at him though to make a solid opinion of him.
I was wondering about Patterson and I like his overall game, but I am just wondering if he will come out this year. I guess the same could be said for most underclassmen right now.
The Pacers are going to be in a weird position for the draft. They have young guys at every position, but (at least from an outsider's perspective) it's hard to tell how valuable any of them are.
The Pacers could use another big, and probably a SG. James Harden would seem to be the best fit if they get up real high (assuming they're not #1, which will obviously be Griffin). Greg Monroe, Demar DeRosen, and even Steph Curry could help, too. What do you think about Jordan Hill from your Wildcats?