The Pacers are bringing a new crop of prospects to the Fieldhouse for a pre-draft workout today.

Candidly, they seem to be scouting for the team formerly known as the Mad Ants as much as the Pacers with this workout. The two names to keep an eye on are Ricky Council IV and Nikola Djurisic, the only players in the group invited to participate at the combine.

Ricky Council IV

Council feels like a throwback NBA player in many ways. He's a 6'6 shooting guard who specializes in putting the ball in the hole. The 21 year old Junior had a productive college career – both in the SEC and the AAC – and in an era less concerned with analytics he might have been a mid-first round pick.

On an Arkansas Razorbacks team that featured multiple highly touted draft prospects, Council was the team's go-to scorer. He averaged a little over 16 points per game, good enough for 3rd in the SEC. He achieved that mark by scoring inside the arc and getting to the line, leading the SEC in free throws made and came in second in attempts.

His efforts garnered him an All-SEC Second Team selection. Prior to playing at Arkansas, he was a mid-major standout at Wichita State, where he was awarded AAC Sixth-Man of the Year in 2022.

While he was a productive college scorer, his poor offensive efficiency and lack of burst will be huge red-flags for any NBA team. Unfortunately there is an inverse correlation between his his three point attempts and his shooting percentage. This past season, while taking the most threes in his career, he only converted 27% from deep. When combined with the fact that he is not much of a passer, he seems destined to be an inefficient scoring guard at the next level.

He's someone worth stashing in the G-League for a season or two to see if he can develop an outside shot, but not a player I would be excited about drafting in the top-32.

Nikola Djurisic

Djurisic is the latest iteration of the Serbian pipeline to the NBA. Like most of his countrymen – and players from the Balkans in general – he possesses an intriguing blend of size and skill. At 6'8, he is comfortable handling the ball and has shown flashes of being an excellent passer.

He'll remind a lot of us of Bogey, who despite not being especially athletic was able to use his big frame and skill level to make an impact both offensively and defensively. Djurisic can take advantage of smaller players inside the arc and will likely be strong enough to defend wings adequately.

Unlike Bogey however, he is an inconsistent shooter. He has good mechanics and could still develop into a deep threat, but his 22% three point percentage is probably going to drop him into the second round.  

He's one of the better young prospects in Europe at the moment (winner of the 2022 EuroLeague Next Generation Tournament MVP Award) and if a team is willing to be patient with the 19 year old, he could develop into a very useful all-around player. With the Pacers already in a crunch with roster spots, he's someone who would make a lot of sense as a draft-and-stash option.

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