For about 15 seconds, hope got the better of me. As a seasoned Pacers fan, I'm well trained in the art of suppressing optimism. Throughout the season I've written off the idea of landing Wemby – or Scoot, Miller, and Amen for that matter. Instead I've kept an eye on prospects ranked 6-11, the "third tier." But for a fleeting moment the flood gates opened.

The odds said we had we about a 50% chance of moving back, a 30% chance of moving up, and less than a 20% chance of staying at 7. As the picks were revealed, my mantra was "just make it through 8." And it worked. When Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum slipped the card for the 8th pick out of its envelope, it showed the Wizards' logo, not ours.

At that moment something came over me. I was giddy like a child waking up on Christmas morning. As though a soon to be unwrapped present was waiting for me under the tree. The odds were 60/40 in our favor that we were in the top 4. The 7th pick must really be blessed. Alas, hope is transitory and within mere seconds Tatum revealed that the Pacers would be staying put at 7.

All in all, keeping the 7th pick is not a terrible result. One of a handful of promising forwards will be available for us at that spot. On top of that, we did catch a lucky break that San Antonio finished above Houston, meaning that we get the 32nd pick in the draft instead of the 50th. Pritchard, ever the one for business jargon, said that the getting Houston's second vs. Miami's represents "big delta" for the team.

In fact Pritchard had a lot to say, and we'll get into it in a second, but first things first: what picks do the Pacers have?

In the Lottery Room

It sounds like I wasn't the only one who got my hopes up last night. For Pritchard, who was in the room where the lottery balls are actually selected, the experience was on steroids.

Every team in the lottery is assigned a quantity of four number combinations based on their team record and lottery odds. Starting with the 1st overall pick, a league attorney operates an air-powered lottery machine before sucking up one ball at a time until a combination is created.

According to Pritchard, the Pacers had the first 3 numbers in the combination for Wemby. I was ecstatic about the possibility of landing in the top-4, I can only imagine the feeling of being one number away from a generational prospect. Pritchard went on to describe Wemby as "transcendental" and spoke about him in the same breath as Magic, Bird, and Jordan. You know he was crushed when the final number didn't match.

What Else Did Pritchard Have to Say?

Quite a bit actually. He dropped a lot of clues on what the team is looking for and what might guide their draft selection process.

On what they are looking for in a prospect: Defense, shooting, and "competitive spirit."

While the need to improve on defense was the first thing out of his mouth, "competitive spirit" was the buzzword. He pointed out the physical and mental toughness of the teams playing in the conference finals – Miami in particular – and said that the game is moving away from true positions. He wants four or five guys who just know how to play, are ultra competitive, and can mesh together.

He also brought up the fact that they plan to build around Tyrese Haliburton. In other words, they want players that can shoot and defend.

On what they'll do with all of their picks: They won't keep all five.

Whether it's packaging them for a trade up or moving them for "dry powder," aka future picks, Pritchard believes that bringing in five rookies is too much youth for the team to add.

On how they feel about drafting at 7: They're content.

He feels that if they stay at 7 they'll acquire a "good player – at worst a rotational guy, at best a starter." He described the talent likely to be available at the 7th pick as the "third tier," which in his view is comprised of about 10 or 12 players. He admitted that there will be a lot of jockeying in the rankings and he foresees that some players not currently being mocked around the 7th pick will "bubble up a little higher."  

On trades: Anything is possible, except for acquiring 1st overall.

He said that they've had conversations with a lot of teams since the end of the season but they were not substantial. Now that the draft order is set, talks will become serious.

If you've listened to Pritchard speak you'll know that his motto is keeping all options open. In fact, in his end of season media availability he mentioned that he thinks the best deals come out of nowhere, at the last minute. With that in mind, he didn't throw water on the idea of trading up from 7 but I didn't get the sense that he was eager to do it either. He said that all picks other than San Antonio's are technically available but it comes down to how much "pain you are willing to endure" to acquire them.

Having said, that they'll clearly trade some of the later picks. In his view, the new rules make picks more valuable than ever. He specifically mentioned the demand for second round picks now that the league added a third Two-Way roster spot and  believes that "32 will get us a lot of good things."  

On the combine: They are trying to find another Ben and Andrew.

He said it's an important week. They are doing a ton of interviews and focusing on getting to know the players. They want to bring in rookies with the same mature, competitive mindset as last year's crop.

On the team's timeline: Getting Mathurin and Nembhard moved it up.

The question wasn't actually about the timeline but about getting another Mathurin at 7. Pritchard freely added that he thought the 2022 rookies were so mature that they moved up the team's plans. I'm not sure I agree with this logic but he's telling us rather plainly that they aren't planning on drafting in the top 10 next year.

Something else I noticed is that whenever he fielded a question about Mathurin, Pritchard included Andrew Nembhard in the answer. There has been a lot of speculation on whether Nembhard is a backup or a starter. I get the sense that the team is as high on him as any of the young players and I wouldn't bet on Nemby moving to the bench any time soon. That's speculation, of course, but I feel like Carlisle and Pritchard keep straightforwardly telling us that they love him and we should take heed.

Haliburton is Bulking Up

Tyrese Haliburton was on site last night as the Pacers' on-stage representative. After the results, the IndyStar tracked him down for an interview, where he mentioned a few interesting things.

The first thing that caught my attention was that he hopes he won't have to take part in many more lotteries. Whether or not the Pacers make a move for veteran help, I think it's clear that they are going to try to make the playoffs next year.

Additionally, Haliburton said that he's focusing on weightlifting this offseason and that he's already the heaviest he's ever been. If you're picturing Hali as a bodybuilder, pump the breaks. He said that he currently weighs 193 pounds, which is still rather slender for someone who stands 6'5. Nevertheless, he's about six pounds heavier than he was at the end of the season and he expects to gain more weight as the offseason goes on.

Tyrese Haliburton speaks at the Lottery
Tyrese Haliburton discusses his role as the Pacers’ on-stage representative at the NBA Draft Lottery and his off-season to date.
The Indianapolis Star