How will the new 2-day NBA draft affect the Pacers?
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Despite the Pacers not having a first round pick this year, they will still have a busy draft. They hold the 36th overall pick, and well as numbers 49 and 50.
The draft will take on a new format this year, which changes up the draft process for the Pacers given where their picks are. Instead of both the first and second round on the same day, the NBA split the two rounds into separate days. With the Pacers only having second round picks, they’ll get a day to reset before making their three picks.
Pacers Vice President of Player Personnel Ryan Carr was available to talk to media on Thursday after their pre-draft workouts for the day.
Carr said that the two day draft changes things for them.
“I think we all have ideas of what’s going to go on after night one and into night two, but we’ll see,” Carr said. “It allows us a night to reset and look at the board and just formulate a plan.”
Carr said when it was just a one night draft, calls with agents were at a rapid fire pace with picks coming so quickly. Now with the second round on a separate day, it gives them a chance to breathe and have conversations with agents without the pressure of the clock ticking down.
The Pacers have taken a more specific focus to their workouts before the draft. Instead of just doing standard drills, they geared them to be similar to how the Pacers play, with their fast paced offense. They did a lot of transition work with them to see their quick decision making skills and to see how fast they get up and down the court.
The Pacers traded their first round pick in the deal that brought back Pascal Siakam. It was reported on Wednesday that Siakam is expected to re-sign with the Pacers.
The first round of the NBA draft is on Wednesday, June 26. The second round is on Thursday, June 27.