Pacers Draft Prospects: Dwayne Bacon

Dwayne Bacon (yes, it’s pronounced like the delicious meat product) appears to have the attention of Kevin Pritchard and the Indiana Pacers. The 6’6” SG/SF from Florida State University has interviewed with the Pacers and was supposed to work out with the coaching staff on Wednesday.

Bacon did not participate in the workout due to an illness. The Pacers filled his spot with Evan Bradds of Belmont.

On Monday, the Seminole was scheduled to workout with the Milwaukee Bucks but also missed that workout due to the illness.

Although a few mock drafts have Bacon going late in the first round, most have the 21-year-old sophomore going somewhere in the second round. With the 47th overall pick, the Pacers seem to be interested in the former McDonald’s All-American.

While his last name stands out, so does his scoring ability. Bacon led the Florida State Seminoles in scoring with 17.2 points per game this season per Sports Reference. He added 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.0 turnovers in 28.8 minutes per game.

Bacon can score in a multitude of ways. At 6’6” and 222 lbs., he likes to use his size and strength to get to the rim. Much like Lance Stephenson, who is a very similar size, Bacon welcomes contact and will bully his way to the basket.

The 21-year-old Florida native is also similar to Stephenson in his rebounding and transition game. Although he only averaged 4.2 rebounds per game last year (5.8 in his freshman season), Bacon’s size allows him to hold his position and rebound. Once the ball is in his hands, Bacon pushes the tempo and will look to go rim-to-rim.

Much different than Stephenson, however, Bacon does not hesitate to shoot the ball from the perimeter. Though only a 33.3% three point shooter, Bacon attempted 4.9 3PA per game. His lack of shooting ability isn’t the question, but his consistency is.

When the scoring talent is feeling good, he will shoot it from anywhere. Below, Bacon had a career-high 29 points after sinking this deep three pointer.

Bacon can score on all three levels of the game. His ability to get to the rim and finish through contact is impressive, but he also possesses the skill to shoot from mid-range and beyond the arc. His versatility makes him hard to stop on the offensive end, especially if he continues to improve his perimeter shooting.

Here is DraftExpress.com’s breakdown on Bacon’s strengths.

Although Bacon is a reliable scorer, his offensive knock is that he forces penetration at times. Even if there may not be a lane to the rim, Bacon may try to force penetration and lose the ball or take a poor shot.

Defensively, Bacon needs work.

Regarding his on-ball defense, Bacon tends to hunch over rather than sit in a defensive stance. Opponents are able to dribble past him relatively easily since he is not in position to quickly slide his feet. Below, you can see Bacon’s poor defensive posture.

Bacon also struggles to fight through picks. This allows his opponent to get open space and either shoot uncontested or get to the rim for an easy layup. With the amount of picks in the NBA, Bacon must work on his defensive effort if he wants to see time on the court.

With the current roster, the Indiana Pacers are in need of players who excel in shooting and defense. Dwayne Bacon does not exactly fit that description.

However, the roster will most likely see tweaks before next season, and Pritchard may like Bacon’s offensive abilities and strength.

Plus, a Bacon jersey would be pretty cool, right?