Because of the trade between Denver and Indiana (and because
we were only to the 11th pick), I am going to redo the 10th
pick with the Pacers.  The Pacers received the 10th pick and
Jalen Rose for the 23rd pick and Mark Jackson.  The Pacers
are represented by:

  "T-Bone" Burton

T-Bone selects:

  Roy Rogers, PF, 6-10, Alabama

========================================================================

I. Team Needs/History

The Indiana Pacers are coming off their second best year in NBA history.
They tied their record from the previous year (when they won a division
title for the first time since their ABA days) in spite of a rash of
injuries and weird suspensions. The Pacers finished the season by losing
to Atlanta in the opening round. That Reggie Miller was hurt made this
loss possible, but it should never have gotten to that point The Pacers
had been a deep team the two previous years, and the last playoffs exposed
their lack of depth. Add to this that Miller, Dale Davis, and Antonio
Davis are free agents, and things are getting kinda hairy. Indiana's two
year run at the finals may be over unless action is taken. So of course,
GM Donny Walsh pulled the trigger on a deal sending Mark Jackson, Ricky
Pierce, and the #23 pick to Denver for Jalen Rose, Reggie Williams, and
the #10 pick. Hence this earlier-than-expected draft report. 

   A. CENTER

        Rik Smits has finally become the kind of center that GM Donny
Walsh envisioned. Larry Brown has Smits palying about 30 pounds lighter
than previous coaches wanted. Not a guy with a big build in spite of his
height, Smits' weight reduction has made him more mobile, reduced his knee
problems to almost non-existent, and increased his endurance. This has
made him one of the league's top offensive centers. Rik uses his 7'4"
frame and good shooting touch to draw out opposing centers and open the
lane for Miller, Jackson (ahem), McKey, and the Davisses(ahem,ahem). Smits
is also a good passer, and improving with time. After a big first half, he
often draws double teams outside of the lane then dishes off to a cutting
teammate for a quick two points and maybe a foul. Smits' rebounding and
defending have improved, though he will never be a monster rebounder, even
at 7'4". His offensive game takes him (and the opposing center) away from
the basket and out of position for rebounds. This is not a problem with
Dale and Antonio Davis and Derrick McKey on the same team. 
        At backup this past year was Dwayne Schintzius. To the surprise of
many, including yours truly, Schintzius proved to be an effective backup
and spot starter when Smits was hurt/needed a rest. He'll never be a great
player, but hell, what can you expect from a backup? Also, reserve power
forward Antonio Davis fills in at backup, which gives him more minutes
without taking them from (or whoever else starts). 

   B. POWER FORWARD

        The Indiana Pacers have been blessed with what may be the best
power forward duo in the NBA. In more than name, both Dale and Antonio
Davis are quite similar. Both are 6'11" power forwards who can rebound,
block shots, play tight defense, run the floor, and provide big dunks when
the Smits and Miller draw extra do. They both are intelligent players,
rarely making dumb mistakes. They feed off one another, each pushing the
other in practice and in games, but the rivalry is friendly one.
Unfortunately, both are free agents and one of them is gone, if not both.
Dale will probably leave, since he can command more cash. Antonio seems
more rooted in Indy, and gives the team more versatility since he can
backup at center. 
       Adrian Caldwell was the fifth frontline player last year. At 6'8",
he is a bit short (but not undersized) when mixing it up underneath. He
is, however, a banger and a hustler and is good insurance if anything
happens to the other big men in front of him. 
       After wasting cap room, a spot on the bench, and eating his weight
in groceries at company expense, Scott Haskin is gone. Good riddance. 

   C. SMALL FORWARD

        Derrick McKey may just be the second best player in the league
today, after Jordan, but no one seems to notice this. McKey puts up solid,
if not great, stats but is best known, when he is known, for his defense.
That McKey was only second-team all-defense in the league truly shows how
little people understand defense. The only defensive stats which are kept
are steals (but not "failed steals" which lead to an easy backet for an
opponent) and blocks. If you block a shot, often it's because your man got
the ball where he shouldn't have in the first place. Most of McKey's
blocks, though, come from leaving his man to help a teammate. And McKey's
defense is more about cutting off passing lanes, rotating to cover two men
when a teammate doubleteams, keeping his man from ever seeing the ball,
keeping rebounds alive for his teammates, etc. Coach Brown and Derrick's
teammates want to see him shoot and drive more, but with Smits and Miller
on the team, McKey only looks to score when the team needs him to. The
team has a defensive presence, a toughness, a scrappiness it sorely lacked
before, due as much to McKey as Larry Brown.  He'll never make the
All-Star team, but McKey is the most important player on a
championship-contending team. It would be nice to see him shoot (and
score) more, but you can't have everything. 
        McKey's backups are Duane Ferrell and Eddie Johnson. Ferrell was
signed as a free agent, had a disappointing first year, and came through
as a solid if unspectacular backup in 95-96. Eddie Johnson was a big
disappointment, and his age really showed. Now that Reggie Williams is on
board, look for Johnson to be gone. Williams will provide bench scoring,
bench leadership, and depth at small forward and shooting guard. 

   D. SHOOTING GUARD

        What can you say about Reggie Miller? The man is a paradox. A
skinny 6-7, he is also one of the league's ironmen; he only missed games
because of Otis Thorpe, the first time Reggie'd ever had a serious injury.
The '96 Olympian is a superstar, one who thrives under pressure. He is
very confident in his abilites but isn't a spoiled star since he grew up
in the shadow of his sister. Reggie, as a shooting guard, gets to the free
throw line more often than most centers, and is deadly at the charity
stripe. He is a bigtime scorer who understands team play. Reggie may well
be the best shooting guard in the league, at least among those who don't
see themselves as bigger than the game. I hope to God he re-signs with
Indy. 
        Backing up Miller is Jalen Rose, taking over for the departed and
Cretaceous-born Ricky Pierce. Rose (son of the Pacers' first-ever draft
pick Jim Walker) is also an insurance policy if Miller doesn't re-sign.
I'd rather go into a season with him as the shooting guard instead of
Ricky Pierce. Rose can also be used as a backup at the point, giving the
team more versatility. 
        The third shooting guard is Fred "Mojo" Hoiberg, who apparently
has a cute butt and generates more discussion on the Pacers list than he
warrants. He's the Jim Carrey of the NBA. 

   E. POINT GUARD
        This position is solid if somewhat frustrating. The starting job
belonged to Mark Jackson, but now will be a fight between Heywood Workman
and Travis Best. best may have been the steal of the draft. When he played
last year, he showed flashes of brilliance and a shooting range that may
have caused Bobby Cremins to yell "Where the hell WERE you?" Though he'll
only be a second year player, he is fairly mature and uses his speed and
shot to make up for his small stature. 
        Consummate journeyman Heywood Workman was brought on board in '93
to back up Vern Fleming, who was then the backup to Pooh Richardson. 
Workman turned out to be the most effective of the trio. Workman has the
perfect last name; he's a blue collar player who plays his heart out every
night. Though not flashy or spectacular, he rarely has a bad game and will
not lose a game for you. His shooting, tough improving, leaves something
to be desired, but his defense compensates. 
        Rose will probably be used as the third point guard that Larry
Brown likes to have on the roster. 

**********************************************************************

In short, the Pacers need depth along the front line or at shooting guard.
You can't expect a rookie to step right in and be a big-time producer on a
championship-caliber team, or even on the Pacers. 

II. Your Selection (and explanation)
Roy Rogers, PF, Alabama. He's a shot blocker, a rebounder, and athletic. 
He's not a great offensive player, but you don't want someone like Karl
Malone playing next to Smits. Also, the guy was a red-shirt senior, so he
may fit in better with a mature team like Indiana. Plus he can learn about
the NBA from Davis, and 'bama has a history of producing good forwards ...
like, say, McKey. 

III. Others Considered
Not too many, and only partly because of the timing of the trade. None of
the remaining shooting guards impressed me, certainly not enough for the
#10 pick. I saw Kwame Evans play a few times at GW, and I like his game to
chose him for the third guard, but he'll be around later. I also
considered Zydrunas Ilgauskas out of Lithuania, but I don't know enough
about him to gamble away the tenth pick. Seriously, Rogers seems the best
fit among who was left, and I know that Larry Brown likes to have five big
men (at C and PF) on the roster at any one time. With at least one of the
Davises likely to leave, this seemed an obvious choice. 

IV.  Who the team will probably take
God knows, and he ain't talkin'. Rumors are rampant that the Pacers are
working on a deal with Phoenix, but supposedly the Knicks are too. There
is a logjam at small forward, the team might need another shooting guard,
there is some question whether or not Schintzius will still be around, 
and now GM Donny Walsh says that the team is looking to move up further 
in the draft. They probably have their eye on someone, so stay tuned ... 

V.  Other moves that the team should make
(In some order of importance)

1. Re-sign Reggie
2. Re-sign Antonio
3. Get a third consistent scorer
4. Offer me free tickets for these drafts if that job comes through