With the NBA Draft fast approaching, and the Early Entry List set, it's time to examine more in depth some of the players who could be available for each of the Pacers three picks. (I am operating under the assumption Dallas will be sending us their 2nd round pick this year, not next, to complete the Shawne Williams deal. June 1st is the final deadline for Dallas to decide.)
Obviously, the Pacers 1st Round pick is the most exciting and has the most potential for value. As we need a lot of improvement in all areas, I will be looking at players who should be available for all three picks. My plan is to post two profiles a day, for 2nd rounders, until the Draft Lottery on May 18th. After the team's first round position is finalized, I'll begin profiling 1st Rounders.
These profiles cover players I believe have some value to offer the Pacers next season and in the future. These profiles are not intended to advocate for one player over another, just examine their strengths and weaknesses, and discuss in some detail what they have to offer. For each profile I provided Ten Important Statistics to guide the discussion. When discussing how each player can help the Pacers I will try to specifically reference the team needs I identified in Setting the Table for the Pacers Summer. Here is who we will be looking at today:
Matt Bouldin - PG/SG - 6'5" 214 lbs. - Gonzaga University
| Pts/40 | Reb/40 | Ast/40 | Stl/40 | eFG% | 3PT% | FT% | PPR | A/TO | Pts/POS |
| 17.5 | 5.2 | 4.5 | 1.6 | 53.0% | 36.5% | 85.8% | 1.03 | 1.76 | 1.16 |
Strengths -
- Bouldin has good size and strength for his position, to go along with a very diverse skill set.
- He is a solid ballhandler and played a large role for Gonzaga in bringing the ball up the floor and running their offense. He doesn't have blow by speed or quickness, but is effective at creating shots for himself or his teammates off the dribble.
- Although his percentages fell off slightly this season, he is an excellent shooter.
- Bouldin is a very intelligent player and does a good job of playing within himself. He protects the ball and rarely takes bad shots.
- He does a decent job of using his size and strength to compensate for his lack of quickness on the defensive end.
- Some highlights:
Weaknesses -
- Bouldin has below average athleticism for an NBA wing. As I mentioned above, he has strong fundamentals and plays with effort, which can compensate for some of these shortcomings. There will still be situations in the NBA where he is simply overmatched athletically.
- He had a tendency to defer to some of his teammates during his college career. Although, this may actually be a strength as it fits better with his projected NBA role.
How he can help the Pacers -
- There wouldn't be many minutes available in the Pacers backcourt for Bouldin next year, but he could develop into a solid backup guard down the road. The best scenario for Bouldin would be to play with a scoring point, who is capable of working off the ball. A.J. Price and Bouldin could work well together, Bouldin handling the ball, Price working off screens looking to use his jumper.
- Even if he plays spot minutes, the Pacers can count on Bouldin giving maximum effort and playing smart, heady basketball.
More Information -