Pre-Draft Workout #3

The Pacers had an eclectic group in the gym for yesterday's workout. Not going to lie, other than Ajay Mitchell, I haven't seen too many of the other names on mock drafts (a few, I haven't seen ever).

pre-draft workout three is set.#GoldOnTheClock pic.twitter.com/XJbJUXgadc
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 11, 2024

Yongxi Cui

Screw it, let's get freaky right away. From the scouting reports I've read, Cui seems a bit of a Ben Sheppard type. 6'6.5 without shoes, he shows promise as a pesky wing defender and spot up three point shooter.

The 21 year old recently held his own at the G-League Elite camp, hitting 23 of 25 threes in the around the world drill. His performance has earned him some buzz on the draft workout circuit as a result.

Having said that, after watching some of his videos, I'm not sure he has the athleticism to break into an already crowded wing rotation on the Pacers.

Thijs De Ridder

Another great name. The Belgian is listed at 6'8, 216. His game seems a bit more power forward than small forward defensively, but he seems comfortable on the perimeter offensively.

He shot 36% from deep for Bilbao in the Spanish League, which is promising... his six points per game scoring average, less so.

Jack Gohlke

Gohlke is a 24 year old super-duper senior who played five seasons (five!) at a D-II school before transferring to Oakland in the Horizon league (remember them Butler fans?).

He became a sensation this March when he made 16 threes in the tournament – 10 to knock out No. 3 Kentucky and 6 in the second round loss to NC State. He set a tourney record for most three pointers in the first two rounds.

His sweet shooting allowed him to cash in on NIL deals, making Turbo Tax, Oofos Slides, and Buffalo Wild Wings ads before the end of the first weekend.

The Horizon League 6th Man of the Year is simply a ridiculous shooter, especially off of movement. He shot about 38% on basically 10 attempts per game last year and many of those were very difficult looks.

At 6'3, he isn't the most undersized two guard in the world, but his defensive fit in the NBA raises a lot of question marks. Frankly, that phrasing is being kind.

Still, the boy can shoot.

Emmanuel Miller

Miller is a strong, athletic wing who had a productive five seasons in the NCAA. He averaged about 16 points and 6 rebounds on 48%/38%/81% for the TCU Horned Frogs last season.

He's a bit small for an NBA forward at 6'6 with shoes, but his versatility, athleticism, and production make him an intriguing prospect at the end of the second round. If he ends up being a tough 3-and-D player, it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Tyson Walker

Big Ten fans might remember Tyson Walker, Michigan State's hot shooting point guard. Walker is on the court to score the ball. He's shifty and can pull up on a dime.

But at 6'1, Walker will have to overcome tremendous odds to be a useful NBA player. I'm not sure his skill level is quite up to the task. His playmaking leaves something to be desired for a player who had the ball as much as he did. Of course, the defensive issues at his height speak for themselves.

Nevertheless, he was a very productive player and could be a tremendous G-League addition.

Ajay Mitchell

I've saved the biggest name for last... and it's another Belgian! What are the odds? His scouting report reminds me a lot of Andrew Nembhard. He's a big, methodical guard who beats you with crafty moves.

In 2023-24, Mitchell averaged 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 50.4 percent from the field, 39.3 percent from three, and 85.8 percent from the foul line. This is the first year that he shot well from deep, so proving that it wasn't a fluke will be key to his NBA future.

The other big question is: how will a guy whose game revolves around handling the ball translate to an environment where he'll be asked to be a 3-and-D player early on? Buying into his role will be crucial to how he fits into the team that drafts him. But if you listen to his interview, he's aware of that and ready for the challenge.

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