Whew... Anyone else a little hungover from 4+ hours of scrolling Twitter and watching Taco Bell commercials?

So much happened over the past few days, I don't even know where to begin. Let's just take it chronologically.

Since this is going to feel a little procedural, I highly recommend playing the Law and Order sound effect before each development.

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1:23 PM - Jun 21, 2023

A Woj bomb blindsides unsuspecting Pacers fans. The team is sending picks 29 and 32 to the Nuggets in exchange for pick 40 and a 2024 first. Pacers fans are puzzled by the news until...

1:47 PM - Jun 21, 2023

24 minutes later when a tweet from Tony East provides clarity that the future pick will be the least favorable of OKC's 2024 firsts.

The Pacers get a pick that will likely be better than 29 next year in exchange for moving down from 32. It helps the Pacers by easing the roster crunch and providing them with a better trade asset.

12:51 PM - Jun 22, 2023

Woj drops another bomb. The Pacers move back seven spots in the second round in exchange for $4.35 million in cash. It's a move that understandably frustrates fans as it helps the finance department more than the coaching staff.

8:00 PM - Jun 22, 2023

The draft begins and things go more or less as expected. ESPN does its best to make us hate Wemby.

But the Wembanyama family are far too wholesome for the ploy to work.

8:49 PM - Jun 22, 2023

A shock: the Pacers submit their pick and to the surprise of everyone, it's Bilal Coulibaly, the fast rising teammate of Wemby from Mets 92. Moments later, we learn that the Pacers are trading the pick to Washington in exchange for Phoenix's second round pick in '28 and Washington's second round pick in '29.

Ever in search of an edge, Pritchard, et al, knew the teams behind them were clamoring for Coulibaly and saw an opportunity to gain a few assets while still being able to draft their guy...

8:54 PM - Jun 22, 2023

Who is Jarace Walker out of Houston.

The selection simply makes sense. Jarace Walker fits a need and is arguably the best player available on the board.

Evaluating Jarace Walker
Today we are looking at Jarace Walker, a forward prospect who has been mocked to us seemingly since the beginning of the year. I’m trying to implement a more consistent way of evaluating draft prospects – thanks for bearing with me, by the way – and I’ve come up with a template
HilliardTwoahh

8:56 PM - Jun 22, 2023

Those who know ball like the pick.

9:12 PM - Jun 22, 2023

Cam Whitmore slips past the Jazz at 9th pick. The Twoahh comment section buzzes with demands for the Pacers to trade up and snag him. Pacers officials read these requests and get to work.

10:19 PM - Jun 22, 2023

The Pacers fail to get their man. The Rockets take Whitmore six picks before the Pacers are back on the clock.

10:56 PM - Jun 22, 2023

The Pacers select Ben Sheppard out of Belmont University. My prediction that Pacers would fall in love with Sheppard comes true, though it happens a few picks earlier than I anticipated.

Ben Sheppard is someone we should get familiar with as he fits the profile of exactly what the Pacers are looking for in a late pick. An upperclassman and leader of his Belmont team, he's a low-ego, hardworking 3-point sniper with good positional size. Maybe it's because they look similarly, but he reminds me a bit of Quentin Grimes.

At 6'5.25 (without shoes) Sheppard is in the 81st percentile of height for two-guards. He shot an excellent 41.5% on six attempts per game from distance last year. Adept at shooting on the move and practically automatic when left open, Sheppard lit up the combine scrimmages.

While he projects to be a great shooter in the NBA, it's worth noting that he shot under 70% from the free throw line for his college career. I don't know what that means but it seems incongruous.

Sheppard had a late growth-spurt and, as a result, has experience playing point-guard. He's high IQ and knows where to move the ball, which is evidenced by the fact he averaged three assists a game as an off-ball guard.

I highly doubt he has a future as All-NBA defender, but he was voted by MVC coaches to the conference All-Defense team. This comes down to his feel for the game and his effort level. He averaged 1.4 steals a game due to his anticipation and propensity for jumping passing lanes.

He's a subpar athlete from an NBA standard and needs to hit the weight room. Even so, his IQ and effort should translate and I have no problem envisioning him as capable team defender.

His athletic limitations also reveal themselves when attacking inside the paint. He cannot handle physicality and he doesn't have the explosion to pressure the rim in traffic.

Nevertheless, his movement shooting and high IQ would thrive in our fast paced system. With Buddy Hield on an expiring contract and Duarte not looking like a long term replacement, I wouldn't be surprised if the Pacers elected to take a shot on Ben Sheppard. Keep an eye on him at 32.

11:10 PM - Jun 22, 2023

Pacers fans question the selection of another off-ball guard but draft Twitter comes to his defense.

A look closer look at Sheppard's shooting numbers reveal the logic. He's Buddy Hield's eventual replacement.

11:15 PM - Jun 22, 2023

Head Coach Rick Carlisle gives an interview at the end of the first round. He thinks that Sheppard and Walker fit the culture the Pacers are building. Both players combine high motors with high basketball IQs.

Carlisle believes Walker is unique because he possesses a mix of defensive versatility and feel for the game that is rare in teenage prospects. The team thought Walker was the best rebounder of the forwards they were considering at #7. Carlisle anecdotally mentions that Walker was able to keep Assistant Coach Jannero Pargo in front of him during his pre-draft workout. They think he'll hold his own on switches.

Offensively, they believe Walker can evolve into a grab and go playmaking big. He'll have to learn how to be a threat to score in the NBA in order to open up the rest of his game.

Carlisle says he really got along with Sheppard on a personal level and that Sheppard gives off an enthusiastic vibe about life. Carlisle believes Sheppard could play some point guard in a pinch but his best role is as an off-ball shooter. The team loves his versatility.

It's clear the Pacers draft the person as much as the player.

11:20 PM - Jun 22, 2023

The second round begins. Leonard Miller and Trayce Jackson-Davis are still on the board. Pacers fans cross their fingers that one will fall to 47.

11:27 PM - Jun 22, 2023

Leonard Miller is taken with the 33rd pick by the Timberwolves.

12:13 AM - Jun 23, 2023

The Pacers are on the clock at pick 47. Trayce Jackson-Davis is still available. Nevertheless, the Pacers select Mojave King, a 6'3.75 guard from the G-League Ignite. He is a strong athlete and projects as a 3-and-D combo guard, though he isn't a consistent shooter.

The selection baffles Pacers fans. While King will likely be signed to a Two-Way contract – or possibly stashed overseas – many feel it is a missed opportunity to add another forward project.

12:14 AM - Jun 23, 2023

Hearts break across Indiana when they see TJD's tweet.

12:14 AM - Jun 23, 2023

The Pacers are back on the clock at pick 55. TJD is still available. The Pacers select Isaiah Wong, another combo guard. As I explained in my pre-draft write up, Wong is an exciting prospect, though his fit is questionable (even before the King pick).

Wong is an incredibly bouncy combo guard who is rising up draft boards. After leading the University of Miami to the Elite Eight last year, he one upped himself with a Final Four run this year. His hot streak continued at the NBA Draft Combine where he turned heads with his athleticism and offensive polish.

Although he is on the shorter side at 6'3, his nearly 6'7 wingspan and quick-twitch burst should allow him to hold his own in the NBA. He proved to be an effective scoring guard at the NCAA level, averaging 16.2 PPG this season on 45/38/84 shooting splits. A performance that earned him the 2022-23 ACC Player of the Year award.

Like many combo guards, Wong is a blur in transition and uses his quickness to score points. The reason he played four years in college is that he didn't show the necessary outside shooting or playmaking to survive in the NBA until this year. While he is an older prospect, and therefore has a shorter development runway, he deserves credit for taking weaknesses and turning them into strengths. He worked his way into the 74th percentile catch-and-shoot efficiency and the 81st percentile off-the-dribble shooting. He also led the Hurricanes in assists while posting a 1.57 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Defensively, he's shown flashes of being a solid point of attack defender and certainly has the physical tools to play the role. He has quick hands and can get on ball steals. His weaknesses are fighting through screens and off-ball concentration (a theme with players who have a big offensive role).

The Pacers aren't necessarily in the market for another guard but Wong is a good bet to carve out a role in the league. If they took him in the second round and stashed him for the day when TJ moves on, I could get behind the move.

1:50 AM - Jun 23, 2023

The Pacers sign Darius McGhee to their Summer League squad. McGhee is tiny but waterbug-quick. He specializes in putting the ball in the hole.

10:12 AM - Jun 23, 2023

Pacers' GM Chad Buchanan goes on local radio and says TJD's reps asked the Pacers not to draft him.

10:31 AM - Jun 23, 2023

Pacers sign Nate Laszewski out of Notre Dame to the Summer League squad.

2:09 PM - Jun 23, 2023

The Pacers hold a press conference to introduce their first round picks. Good vibes abound. According to Carlisle, Walker asks to workout after the media session is over.

3:48 PM - June 23, 2023

A Shams bomb explodes. The Pacers sign undrafted big man Oscar Tshiebwe to a Two-Way contract. This means that last year's second round pick Kendall Brown and both of this year's second round picks will be fighting for the two remaining Two-Way spots. The idea that King is a draft-and-stash candidate gains traction.

Things are still in flux so stay tuned for what happens next.

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Draft Recap