On NBA Finals Eve, Pacers offseason in full swing

Draft prospects are filing through the Fieldhouse this week, including a potential No. 7 pick.

The NBA playoffs have been about as fun as possible considering the Pacers were on the far outside looking in since mid-April. The Lotto theory that ‘you have to be in it to win it’ has been never been more prevalent than this year with the Lakes and Heat making it to the conference finals as higher seeds forced to prove their playoff chops via the play-in games.

Now the Heat have a shot at a highly unlikely run to the LOB trophy when they visit the Nuggets in Denver for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. Over the past few years the top teams in the league have certainly been easy to predict, but the champion? Not so much.

Injuries and luck have become a reliable wild card in the NBA playoffs. The Raptors rode Kawhi Leonard and some ill-timed Warriors injuries to the promised land, turning Nick Nurse into an innovative sideline master who was quickly snatched up by Philly recently after his magic (sans Kawhi) wore out in Toronto. (I’ll save my Nurse hubris rant for another time).

While the Heat seem immune to any injury issues (must be the culture) the Celtics felt the sting in Game 7 and now they’re gone with roster and coaching intrigue sure to dominate the next six weeks in Beantown.

So yes, the Pacers offseason efforts to improve and make a run at the playoffs is a worthy pursuit since we don’t know what will happen between now and next April. If Tyrese Haliburton is the guy the organization and everyone else thinks he is, the implausible is possible. The kid needs his playoff experience and he needs it now.

Plus, one more ‘tank’ year is such a bore if we’re being honest. Don’t try to outthink the room. It’s not that deep, especially with the new CBA which should be a benefit to the Pacers and further level the playing field for a team that has never sniffed the penal second apron that should help keep teams like Golden State from buying a championship.

Inadvertently, the Heat are giving us a look at the future, when two or three players soaking up the bulk of a team’s salary cap will have to be fortified by role players delivering in roles that exceed the worth of their contract.

So when the Pacers have players in for draft workouts has they did on Tuesday and Wednesday, they are gathering valuable intel on a wide range of players, even if they have no thoughts of drafting those players at this time.

On Tuesday, the Pacers worked out Ricky Council IV (Arkansas), Nikola Durisic (Serbia), Tevian Jones (Southern Utah), Darius McGhee (Liberty), Jordan Miller (Miami), and Keisei Tominaga (Nebraska). These are second rounder-ish players the Pacers will likely not be in on with their preference to move any picks they have. The size, age and skillset of Durisic is quite intriguing after watching some clips. But I may also be succumbing to a growing ‘Nikola’ bias.

On Wednesday, the Pacers had a workout with local legends Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic), Armaan Franklin (Virginia) and Nate Laszewski (Notre Dame), along with Adam Flagler (Baylor), Leonard Miller (G League Ignite), and Isaiah Wong (Miami). Following the workout, Davis and Flagler announced they were returning to college for another year.

It is highly likely that none of these players will be part of the Pacers plans, well ever. But there is also an increasing likelihood that as one or two of these guys develops and timely opportunity knocks at the Fieldhouse, they could fill a future role a la Max Strus or Gabe Vincent with the Heat this year.

Cam Whitmore workout

After three group workouts with mid-to-late draft position players, the Pacers are bringing in a legit option for the No. 7 overall pick on Thursday in Cam Whitmore from Villanova.

Whitmore measured just 6 foot-5 3/4 at the NBA combine, but is a 235-pound forward with a 40.5 inch vertical leap who averaged 12.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in his freshman season at ‘Nova. Oh, and Whitmore won’t celebrate his 19th birthday until he’s at Summer League in Las Vegas in July. If he survives that, the sky’s the limit.

Check out this nice prospect video from Hoop Intellect:

I love the idea of the individual workout day for the top prospects like Whitmore. Workout seems a bit light considering this will be more like a full day interview for the young fella with as much conversation off the court as sweat dripped on the court. All of it analyzed as the front office prepares to make an absolute critical decision with their most valuable draft pick.

On the surface, Whitmore doesn’t seem like the perfect fit despite the lovely visuals one can conjure of the young fella flying through the air to finish at the rim and sending the Fieldhouse into a frenzy. Not the mention pondering his grown man frame extending pressure defensively and forcing stops to get the ball moving quickly the other way. Unfortunately, his size is comparable to what feels like half of the current roster which would leave that big wing/power forward hole in the rotation.

Now, that spot in the rotation could be filled by other means, if the projected ceiling of Whitmore is so legit he can’t be passed up at seven. Plus, it is more likely that Whitmore will be picked before the Pacers pick at seven. If he’s available, it is likely he may be the no brainer pick, if not part of a trade. But the focus on figuring that out with Cam Whitmore Day on Thursday is a laudable approach by the Pacers.

I would also assume that Tyrese Haliburton will be involved in the workout process both on the court and off. Whitmore’s interactions and the impressions he leaves with the Pacers star may be more important than those with KP and the other front office folks. If the Pacers are indeed going to utilize their No. 7 pick, the fit has to be a home run.

No pressure.