Pacers in 2009 NBA Mock Drafts

(Updated April 28, 2009)
It's been awhile since a mock draft accurately projected the Pacers' first-round pick. In fact, since we began tracking the experts in 2002, we haven't found one that nailed it. Last year was point guard D.J. Augustin of Texas at No. 11. But Augustin went No. 9 to Charlotte and the Pacers picked Jerryd Bayless of Arizona State at No. 11 and then traded him to Portland for No. 13 pick Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts. The Pacers didn't have a first-round pick in 2007. In 2006, the experts were split between point guards Jordan Farmar of UCLA and Rajon Rondo of Kentucky at No. 17, but none pegged forward Shawne Williams. In 2005, the consensus was shooting guard Rashad McCants of North Carolina; the Pacers picked Danny Granger, who had been projected in the top 10 by the experts. This is not to discredit the mock drafts but rather illustrate how difficult it is to accurately project the selections when so many variables are involved. That said, we offer up this sampling of opinions projecting the Pacers' pick, which currently stands at No. 13 overall but could change in the NBA Draft Lottery on May 19.

SOURCE PROJECTION COMMENT
CollegeHoops.net DeMAR DeROZAN
6-7 SG/SF, USC		 A tremendous athlete. Good wingspan. Very good rebounder for his position, especially offensively. Good body control. Can absorb contact and still score. ... Solid defender. Hard worker. Very good mid-range game. A year older than other freshmen. No three-point range on his jumper. Still inconsistent. No playmaking abilities ... Game still is raw - needs more experience.
Draft Express.com TERRENCE WILLIAMS
6-6 SG/SF, Louisville		 He has great size for the two-guard spot and has the strength to handle banging in the paint and posting up smaller guards. He shows excellent speed in the open floor as well as a great first step that allows him to get into the lane on a regular basis against most defenders. ... After being a fairly one dimensional offensive player early in his career, Williams has developed into a very versatile player with the basketball, even though he still is very far from being considered a great scorer.
ESPN.com ERIC MAYNOR
6-3 PG, Va. Commonwealth		 Maynor might not be a household name, but the college senior (has) been one of the best point guards in the country for the past few years. He has quickness, great floor vision and an improving jump shot. With his great poise, he's come up big in the tournament the two times VCU has made it that far.
HoopsHype.com TY LAWSON
5-11 PG, North Carolina		 True point guard who might be the quickest end to end player in college basketball. A master at igniting fast-breaks after made baskets. Has excellent strength, ball-handling skills, footwork and body control, and is especially impressive in transition. ... Loses focus and is still inconsistent as a floor general in the half-court. ... Gets in the passing lanes defensively, but lack of size and effort hurts his NBA potential on this end of the floor.
HoopsWorld.com JEFF TEAGUE
6-2 PG, Wake Forest		 About as aggressive a scorer and shot-creator as you’ll find in the college ranks ... His first step is superb (going left or right) and he takes the ball extremely hard to the basket, changing directions quickly with no hesitation whatsoever. He gets to the free throw line at will thanks to the reckless abandon he plays with, but surprisingly doesn’t finish around the basket quite as well as you might hope, being a bit wild with some of his attempts and lacking some touch and/or strength on others.
MyNBADraft.com JONNY FLYNN
6-0 PG, Syracuse		 Has an impressive jump shot but also has the ability to take the ball to the basket. His best game might be in transition, he's fast and has good court vision. He's only a sophomore but still considered one of the top three point guards in college basketball. His height may be a concern at the next level but I think signs of Chris Paul are evident.
NBADraft.net STEPHEN CURRY
6-2 PG/SG, Davidson		 Made transition from SG to PG this year, but he is more of a combo guard that makes good decisions than a true PG ... Puts a lot of pressure on defense with his scoring ability and quickness ... Looks fearless on the floor and plays under control ... Can get any shot he wants and has great shot efficiency ... Can put the ball on the floor and create his own shot from anywhere on the floor and he doesn’t need much space to get his shot off. ... Far below NBA standard in regard to explosivenes and athleticism ... At 6-2, he's extremely small for the NBA shooting guard position, and it will likely keep him from being much of a defender at the next level.
NBA-draft.com CRAIG BRACKINS
6-10 PF, Iowa State		 Good size ... Great length ... Good shooter ...Above-average athlete ... Good rebounder ... Versatile ... Can score both inside-and-out ... Needs to add strength ... Below-the-rim player ... Below-average lateral quickness ... Very poor defensively. ... Below-average strength.
RealGM.com CRAIG BRACKINS
6-10 PF, Iowa State		 Brackins doesn't have the same kind of star potential as many other players in this portion of the draft, but has an excellent skill set and workmanlike approach.
TheHoopsReport.com JAMES JOHNSON
6-9 PF, Wake Forest		 The Pacers have three point guards, so they certainly won't draft someone at that position. Danny Granger, Mike Dunleavy, Brandon Rush and Marquis Daniels (if the teams picks up his option) occupy the wing positions. At power forward and center, all the Pacers have returning are Roy Hibbert, Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster. They could use some quality big men.