The Indiana Pacers made a nice run in this year's NBA Playoffs and are expected to be a little more potent with a healthy Danny Granger in the lineup next year. Granger alone likely won't put them over the hump next year, however, if the end goal is an NBA championship. That's where the No. 23 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft could help.
NBA Draft 2013: Indiana Pacers could go big at No. 23
The Pacers will be mindful of David West’s impending free agency as the draft begins on Thursday.
Ronald Martinez
The Pacers should be able to make strides this offseason toward a title, as long as David West is re-signed and they're able to make minor improvements to the roster, starting with the draft.
Draft picks
Complete Indiana Pacers draft coverage
Visit Indy Cornrows for more on the Pacers. The Pacers haven’t been very active in the draft pick transaction process over the past few years, but that makes this section less confusing. The only draft picks the Pacers have are their own for this year, so they’ll pick at No. 23 and No. 53.
Depth chart
PG - George Hill, D.J. Augustin (free agent), Ben Hansbrough (restricted free agent)
SG - Lance Stephenson (not guaranteed until July 15), Gerald Green, Orlando Johnson
SF - Paul George, Danny Granger, Sam Young (free agent)
PF - David West (free agent), Tyler Hansbrough (restricted free agent), Jeff Pendergraph (restricted free agent)
The roster is pretty set as long as the Pacers make the obvious move of guaranteeing Stephenson's contract and do their best to re-sign West, as they reportedly will. That roster has proven to only be good enough for an Eastern Conference Finals run, though, not an NBA Finals run.
Biggest need(s)
The biggest need is going to be figuring out what to do at the power forward position if West isn’t re-signed. The Pacers could try out a couple of interesting small-ball lineups to accommodate Granger back into the rotation, but it’d probably make more sense to hit the draft considering the depth might not be gone in free agency anyway.
Potential targets
If the Pacers want to pick a high-upside player, French center Rudy Gobert (scouting report) is an option. The 7’2 center seems more like a player someone will stash overseas this season, so as long as Indiana is able to re-sign West, this could end up being a very wise investment in their future.
If Indiana is looking for immediate help, Kelly Olynyk (scouting report) of Gonzaga or Reggie Bullock (scouting report) of North Carolina are options.
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