Draft are always fascinating and unbelievable to predict. There are always twists and turns, and last-second calls that can shake it up. In the final hours before the 2014 NBA Draft (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), nobody has confidently reported what the Cleveland Cavaliers are doing. Yes, they may be tight lipped but I think it’s more of an indication of how fluid it is.
I’m not a mock draft guy. I’ve never made one and (fingers crossed) I don’t plan on doing one anytime soon. I do believe there is value in seeing what areas players are slotted. Ahead of tonight’s draft, where the Pacers only hold the 57th pick, there are a variety of opinions of where they might go with the pick.
[Click here for a list of prospects the Pacers brought in plus comments from coach Frank Vogel]
I despise the title “insider,” so take a look at what these draft gurus, who dive in on draft guys for hours on end, have the Pacers doing at 57.
ESPN’s Chad Ford:
Josh Huestis, Stanford: 6-7, 230-pound PF
“Huestis is toughness personified. He’s the guy who helped shut down Kansas’s Andrew Wiggins in the NCAA tournament, and he’s the type of no-nonsense player the Pacers could use coming off the bench.”
DraftExpress’s Jonathan Givony:
Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati: 6-4, 219-pound SG
NBADraft.net:
Alec Brown, Wisconsin-Green Bay: 7-1, 231-pound PF/C
NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper:
Melvin Ejim, Iowa State: 6-6, 220-pound SF
“Ejim’s game should translate well enough in the move from college power forward to his best chance for an NBA future at small forward, with aggressive play inside for scoring and putting up big rebounding numbers. He won’t come close to the production of 9.3 boards per game as a junior and 8.4 as a senior, but it shows his approach and attitude.”
CBS Sports:
Gary Parrish: Melvin Ejim, Iowa State: 6-6, 220-pound SF
Zach Harper; Markel Brown, Oklahoma State: 6-3, 184-pound SG
Matt Moore: Khem Birch, UNLV: 6-9, 209-pound PF/C
Bleacher Reports’ Jonathan Wasserman:
Andre Dawkins, Duke: 6-5, 205-pound SG
“Andre Dawkins’ jumper is up there with some of the deadliest in this year’s draft. Despite averaging just 13.7 minutes, Dawkins hit a mind-blowing 1.9 three-pointers per game for Duke at a 42.1 percent clip. He won’t give you much else, but Dawkins has specialist potential as a spot-up option around the arc. The Pacers worked out Dawkins earlier, and they could use a sniper with his range and accuracy.”