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David Roddy doesn't necessarily look like an NBA prospect. The Colorado State star forward, one of four players who auditioned for the Pacers in a pre-draft workout on Monday, is built a lot more like Rob Gronkowski than Klay Thompson.

In fact, the 6-6, 260-pound Roddy once starred on the gridiron as well as the hardwood. At Breck School in Golden Valley, Minn., Roddy was a finalist for both Mr. Basketball and Mr. Football. He played quarterback, throwing for nearly 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior. He had offers to play both sports at the Division I level, ultimately choosing basketball at Colorado State over a football scholarship to Wyoming.

He may have a football player's physique, but Roddy certainly made the right choice given his prolific hoops career with the Rams. Roddy averaged 15.5 points per game over three seasons at Colorado State and was named Mountain West Player of the Year for 2021-22 after a standout junior season, where he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 blocks, and 1.2 steals while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from 3-point range.

Roddy did pretty much everything for Colorado State, leading his school to a 25-6 record and a six seed in the NCAA Tournament (the Rams played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, but were knocked off by 11th-seeded Michigan in first round). He described his game as "very versatile, very fun to watch" on Monday.

In the not-so-distant past, scouts may have had issues projecting where Roddy would fit in at the next level. There was a time that he might have been deemed to big to play on the perimeter, but too short to play in the post. But the success of players like Warriors All-Star Draymond Green, Celtics forward Grant Williams, and even Pacers two-way forward Terry Taylor has opened the door for someone like Roddy to carve a niche as a physical, if undersized, power forward and even a small-ball center.

That's a position where Golden State has deployed Green to great success on its championship runs and Boston has followed suit this spring with Williams in their run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

And while Roddy may be a few inches shorter than the typical NBA big, he's got most of them beat in weight and strength. His length is better than expected as well - his wingspan measured at just under 7 feet at last week's NBA Draft Combine.

"I see myself fitting in, especially at a young age, with my physicality and versatility," Roddy said. "I can guard multiple positions. I can cut hard, I can move off the ball, I can knock down shots. That's really what's important right now in the NBA, physicality and mental toughness. I think I bring that to the table."

One area where Roddy is already ahead of a player like Williams is as a shooter. Williams was an All-American at Tennessee, but thrived on the block, only making 30 3-pointers at 29.1-percent clip over three years in college. Roddy shot just 19.5 percent from beyond the arc as a freshman and 27.8 percent as a sophomore, but he broke out in a big way last season, knocking down 46-of-105 shots from long distance.

His breakthrough moment came in Colorado State's fifth game of the season, when he went 7-for-10 from deep while dropping 36 points in a win over Creighton at the Paradise Jam, a performance that justified all the work he put in to overhauling his shot.

"It was a multi-year process and so having certain games where I'd catch fire was really a sigh of relief my junior year," Roddy said. "After that, my confidence just skyrocketed and I understood that my hard work was paying off and now I can have fun with it."

Roddy, 21, has been competing his whole life, so fighting for an NBA roster spot is just the next great challenge in an accomplished athletic career. In addition to his football and basketball exploits, Roddy won a state championship in the discus and placed second in the shot put in 2019, when he was also named Minnesota Male High School Athlete of the Year.

"There's so many different ways of competition in those (other) sports," Roddy said. "Football, you kind of need an ounce of craziness a little bit. So bringing that to the basketball court definitely helps, along with the physicality. And then track is more of a technical sport. So understanding the fundamentals and understanding the footwork is very, very important (just like) in basketball."

Where might the well-rounded Roddy wind up going in the draft? Pre-draft rankings are mostly a fool's errand, but for whatever it's worth, ESPN currently ranks him as the 31st-best prospect in this year's draft class.

And for whatever it's worth, the Pacers own the the first pick in the second round, the 31st overall selection.

Power 5 Trio Rounds Out Second Pre-Draft Workout

The other three participants in Monday's pre-draft workout were Baylor guard James Akinjo, Alabama guard Keon Ellis, and Marquette forward Justin Lewis. UCLA wing Johnny Juzang and Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard were originally scheduled to work out with the Pacers as well, but were unable to make it to Indiana due to weather-related travel issues.

Akinjo had a unique college career, starring at three big-time programs. He began his career at Georgetown, but transferred to Arizona midway through his sophomore season. He played for the Wildcats in 2020-21,  but elected to transfer again after a coaching change, winding up in Waco with Scott Drew and the defending national champions last season.

And the thing is, Akinjo was great at every stop. The Oakland native averaged 13.4 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.1 steals in 2018-19 for the Hoyas. He averaged 15.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.4 steals in 2020-21 for Arizona. And he averaged 13.5 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.0 steals in 2021-22 for Baylor.

He is almost assuredly the only player in college basketball history to win Big East Freshman of the Year and be named to both the All-Pac 12 and All-Big 12 first teams.

"I think it proved if anything that I'm a competitor," Akinjo said of his nomadic college career. "Very rarely can you play in three Power 5 conferences and perform at a high level like I did. I think it also showed my ability to adapt to any type of system, any type of coach, any type of teammates. I can come in, I can get along with anybody, I can adapt and I'm going to compete."

Just 6-1, Akinjo isn't likely to hear his name called early on draft night. But he's not going to back down from anyone in the pre-draft process, using every workout as an opportunity to show teams how hard he's willing to fight for a spot in the league.

"You should draft me because I'm the best point guard in this draft," Akinjo said of his pitch to teams. "I think with the direction that the NBA is going in right now, you need point guards that can really make plays for others, makes plays for himself, and that have got a little creativity.

"I'm a guy that can push stars in practice. I'm the hardest worker wherever I'm at. I'm just hungry, man. I just want it. I want it more than anybody else."

Ellis began his career in junior college before transferring to Alabama, where was a role player for the Crimson Tide team that won the SEC championship in 2021. He took on a significantly larger role last season and thrived, averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game.

One of the areas where Ellis grew the most over the past year was on the defensive end, where he used his nearly 6-9 wingspan to wreak havoc on opposing players, earning a selection to the SEC's All-Defensive team.

Ellis has all the tools to project as a potential "3-and-D" wing at the next level. He took 5.5 3-pointers per game last season in head coach Nate Oats' offense, which emphasizes looks behind the arc, knocking them down at a 36.6-percent clip.

"We play the same way so it's an easy translation to the NBA," Ellis said of his college experience. "Going out there, playing kind of the same way, shooting threes (or) if you don't have it, running off the line finding the next open shooter. I definitely think it's a great system to play in."

The 20-year-old Lewis is testing the waters after a breakout sophomore season at Marquette. He has until the June 1 deadline for underclassmen to withdraw their names from the draft to decide whether he wants to stay in or head back to school for another year.

Lewis was named the Big East's Most Improved Player last season, increasing his scoring from 7.8 points per game as a freshman to 16.8 as a sophomore and his rebounding from 5.4 boards per contest to 7.9. He also made significant strides as a shooter - after going 7-for-32 (21.9 percent) from 3-point range as a freshman, he went 58-for-166 (34.9 percent) last season.

He led the Big East in scoring in conference play at 18.2 points per game, highlighted by a 23-point, 11-rebound performance in a blowout win over 16th-ranked Providence on Jan. 4 and a 33-point, nine-board, six-assist outing in a victory at Seton Hall on Jan. 26.

Lewis received an invite to last week's combine, where he impressed in the physical testing with his 7-2 wingspan and 35-inch vertical. While he's still undecided on his future plans, Lewis feels he's impressing NBA teams in the audition process.

"They're getting a pitch on my versatility," Lewis said. "I can play three through five, I can guard one through five. I bring a lot of versatility to the game."

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Roddy Offers Unique Gifts with Physicality, Versatility

The Pacers will hold their first pre-draft workout in preparation for the 2022 NBA Draft on Friday, May 13 at St. Vincent Center.

The first workout group includes James Akinjo (Baylor), Keon Ellis (Alabama), Johnny Juzang  (UCLA), Justin Lewis (Marquette), Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga), and David Roddy (Colorado State).

PLAYER BIOS: Akinjo »   Ellis »   Juzang »   Lewis »   Nembhard »   Roddy »

The 2022 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Pacers own the sixth overall pick as well as the first and last picks in the second round, the 31st and 58th overall selections.

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Pacers to Hold Second Pre-Draft Workout on Monday, May 23

Indianapolis, IN – The NBA announced today that Indiana Pacers guard Chris Duarte was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He is the first Pacers rookie to be selected to the All-Rookie team since Pacers center Myles Turner was named to the All-Rookie 2nd Team in 2016.

Duarte appeared in 55 games this season and averaged 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 steals in 28.0 minutes per game. His 94 three-pointers made ranked 8th most among rookies, while his 268 field goals made ranked 10th. &nbsp;Additionally, he averaged 17.7 points per game in the month of October. &nbsp;

Duarte is joined on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team by Herb Jones, Josh Giddey, Ayo Dosunmu, and Bones Hyland.

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Chris Duarte Named to NBA All-Rookie Second Team

The wait is over. Pacers fans finally learned where Indiana will pick sixth in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft on Tuesday night thanks at the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery.

The Pacers dropped one spot in the lottery as Sacramento - which entered the lottery with the seventh-best odds - jumped ahead of Indiana and into the top four.

It will be the highest the Pacers have picked in over three decades, since Indiana drafted Rik Smits second overall in 1988. The Pacers have never had the sixth pick in the draft before this year.

"We're excited," Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard told the media after the draft. "We're going to kick butt. We're not messing around now. I think we showed last year that we're willing to move and toggle to get where we want to get.

"I'd be shocked if that isn't just the start of it because I want to get aggressive."

Although the Pacers dropped in the lottery, Pritchard still expressed optimism about where they're picking in what he considers to be a deep draft.

"There's something about picking (sixth) that at the end of the day, there's usually a little chip on the player's shoulder," Pritchard said. "Like, 'Why wasn't I considered in the top four?' And I like that. I think this guy who we pick, it's going to be paramount, number one, that he loves basketball.

"We're going to keep an open mind. There's something that's really important to me (and) to the (front office) and that is, the player that we draft, we want him in Indiana. We want him in for 24 hours and maybe more and we want to spend some serious time to get to know him."

The 2022 NBA Draft will take place on June 23 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Indiana also owns the first and last picks of the second round, the 31st and 58th overall selections.

"I think we're really excited to start getting to know these players," Pritchard said. "There's some difference-makers and there's some real value in this draft and we've got to find both."

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Pacers Secure Sixth Overall Pick in 2022 NBA Draft

Pacers fans everywhere will be crossing their fingers on Tuesday night during the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery. Indiana enters the lottery with the fifth-best odds of securing the number one pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and can end up with anywhere from the first to the ninth overall selection depending on how the lottery shakes out.

Pacers Assistant General Manager Kelly Krauskopf will be representing the franchise on stage during the lottery, which will be televised on ESPN at 8:00 PM ET. Krauskopf succeeds Nancy Leonard, wife of the late Hall of Famer Slick Leonard and a former front office employee, who represented Indiana in the 2021 lottery.

Krauskopf has taken part in one previous lottery in her previous role as President and General Manager of the Indiana Fever. The Fever entered the WNBA in 2000 alongside two other franchises and won an expansion draft lottery. Krauskopf is hoping that history repeats itself on Tuesday.

"I'm probably the most optimistic, glass-is-always-half-full type person," Krauskopf said. "So when (Pacers President of Basketball Operations) Kevin (Pritchard) and (Pacers owner) Herb Simon asked me to represent the team on the stage, it's because I have this belief that we're moving up. It's time. The law of averages are on our side. We're due. I have a great feeling about it."

The Pacers have a 10.5-percent change of securing the top pick and a 42.1-percent chance of moving into the top four. Their single most likely landing spot, however, is dropping to seventh (26.7-percent chance), followed by falling to sixth (19.6 percent).

The actual lottery will take place in a secured room just before the television broadcast. Pacers General Manager Chad Buchanan will be inside that room, where the league will draw four-digit number combinations to determine which teams will receive the top four picks. The remaining 10 teams in the lottery will then be slotted fifth through 14th based on their regular-season record.

Representatives from Ernst & Young will then stuff envelopes based on the lottery results, which NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum will open during the televised lottery, where each team will have one representative on stage to react to the results. No one on stage for the televised lottery, including Tatum and Krauskopf, will know the results of the lottery until the envelopes are opened, so their reactions will all be genuine.

"I've watched plenty of of these," Krauskopf said. "You feel a little silly sometimes because you're just kind of sitting there in a room that's very quiet. I know there's not a lot of celebration, but when we move up and win, there might have to be a little celebration."

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Krauskopf to Represent Pacers at 2022 NBA Draft Lottery

Hyunjung Lee didn't get much sleep on Thursday night. After pre-draft workouts on the West Coast with the Warriors and Kings earlier in the week, the 6-7 forward out of Davidson didn't arrive in Indianapolis until 1:30 on Friday morning. Just a few hours later, he was on the court at the Ascension St. Vincent Center, one of six prospects taking part in the Pacers' first pre-draft workout ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23.

That will be life for Lee and other pre-draft prospects for the next several weeks, jetting from city to city as they chase their NBA dreams. But for Lee, there's an added significance to this whole process.

Lee is hoping to be the second Korean to ever play in the NBA. Ha Seung-Jin, a 7-3 center, was drafted in the second round by Portland in 2004 and played in 46 games over two seasons with the Trail Blazers.

"Representing your country, it's a big thing but also it could be a big pressure, too," Lee said. "I'm just trying to (use) that pressure as motivation. Representing the country is a big honor...You cannot let the whole country down."

Lee certainly made his country proud during his decorated college career.

He averaged 12.7 points and shot just under 40 percent from 3-point range over three seasons at Davidson. After contributing as a shooter off the bench as a freshman, Lee broke out his sophomore season, when he averaged 13.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over 22 games and joined the elusive 50/40/90 club. Lee shot 50.8 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from 3-point range, and 90 percent from the free throw line in 2020-21, becoming the first player in school history and just the 11th player in Division I over the last 30 years to shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc, and 90 percent from the charity stripe.

Lee took an even larger role as a junior, averaging 15.8 points and 6 rebounds while still shooting an impressive 47.4 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from 3-point range on a high volume of attempts. He topped 20 points seven times, including a career-high 32 in a Nov. 30 victory at Charlotte, was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team, and helped lead the Wildcats to a regular season conference title and an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.

If he makes it to the NBA, Lee would be the first player from Davidson to reach the league since Stephen Curry. Like Curry, Lee thrived in legendary head coach Bob McKillop's motion offense thanks to his shooting prowess.

"It was a big, big pleasure," Lee said of his time playing for McKillop, who has amassed 634 wins over 33 seasons at Davidson. "He taught me how to be a great player, but also a great person."

McKillop recruits internationally as well as any coach in college basketball (Lee's teammates at Davidson included players from Austria, Denmark, England, and Iceland) and discovered Lee after he attended the NBA Global Academy in Australia while in high school.

Lee comes from a basketball family. His mother, Sung Jung-a, was a member of the South Korean national team that won a silver medal in the 1984 Olympics. His father also played and coached. After showing promise as a teenager, Lee made the decision to head to Australia to learn English and continue his development, then ultimately wound up deciding to head to the United States for college, choosing Davidson over Washington State (interestingly, his basketball idol is not Curry, but his teammate Klay Thompson, who starred at Washington State).

Like Thompson, Lee has great size on the wing. He rebounded well for his position in college and has some athleticism to make plays on both ends, but he knows his shooting will be what lands him on an NBA roster.

"I believe in myself that I'm the best shooter in this draft class," Lee said Friday.

Like Curry, Lee elected to declare for the draft after three seasons at Davidson and is hoping to impress enough in the pre-draft process to hear his name called on draft night. The 21-year-old was one of 44 players invited to take part in the G League Elite Camp next week in Chicago. The players who impress scouts the most in that setting will be invited to remain in Chicago for the NBA Draft Combine.

With basketball becoming an increasingly global game, a few players from east Asian countries have recently made it to the NBA. Japanese forwards Yuta Watanabe and Rui Hachimura have carved out NBA careers, with a sizable media contingent from their native country traveling with them from city-to-city to document their every move.

Should Lee reach the NBA, he would likely receive a similar treatment. As his star grew at Davidson, Korean journalists made frequent visits to cover the Wildcats and Korean fans began to flock to Lee's games. One can only imagine what would happen if he plays in the NBA. And for Lee, the opportunity to show other Koreans that reaching the NBA is an attainable goal would make it all the more fulfilling.

So for now, at least, there's no time for rest.

Among the six prospects at Friday's workout, Michigan center Moussa Diabate and Memphis forward Josh Minott are the only two that have received an invite to the combine. Both are currently in the draft after one season playing for college coaches with plenty of NBA experience.

Diabate, who is originally from France but moved to the United States at 14 for high school, started 26 of 32 games for the Wolverines, averaging 9 points on 54.2 percent shooting and 6 rebounds. He showed growth over the course of his freshman season, highlighted by a 28-point outburst in a win at Iowa on Feb. 17 and a 13-point, six-rebound, three-block performance in a second-round NCAA Tournament victory over Tennessee.

Diabate is currently testing the NBA Draft waters while maintaining his eligibility to potentially return for another season at Michigan (underclassmen have until June 1 to withdraw their names from the draft). But he has a lot of the tools that could entice teams to take a chance on him at the draft, including a high motor and the athletic skillset to be a strong defender.

One perk of playing at Michigan has been the opportunity to learn from head coach Juwan Howard, a fellow big man who spent 19 years in the NBA.

"Coach Juwan, he's a great man," Diabate said. "He's always been real with me. The fact that he's played in the NBA, been in those shoes of where I want to be at, it's just a blessing and it's great."

Minott, meanwhile, spent the past season playing for four-time All-Star Penny Hardaway, now the head coach at Memphis. The 6-9 forward said he learned a lot from Hardaway about the work ethic it takes to make it in the league.

Minott was a role player on a deep Tigers team last season, only starting six of 33 games. He averaged 6.6 points and 3.8 rebounds, but showed flashes of elite athleticism in limited minutes.

Minott had three double-digit rebound games, seven games with two or more blocks, and nine games with two or more steals. He said on Friday that he is confident he can help a team right away on the defensive end.

"I feel like I can guard a wide variety of positions on the court," Minott said. "I don't really feel like a liability (at) any position, one through five. I'm not sure if it's a mindset or what, but I just feel like defensively, I'm able to complete an assignment on anybody."

Minott will take that confidence into the combine next week, where he feels he has "so much to prove."

"Every time I step between those lines, there's a hunger, man," Minott said. "It's you or the next guy. I plan on showing everybody why it's me."

Hall, Ellis, Aimaq Round Out First Workout

The final three players at Friday's workout were Saint Joseph's forward Jordan Hall, USC guard Boogie Ellis, and Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq.

Like his Atlantic 10 counterpart Lee, Hall also was invited to the G League Elite Camp. The 6-7 guard tested the waters a year ago after a strong freshman season where he averaged 10.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists.

Hall ultimately elected to come back to Saint Joseph's for another season and took on an even larger offensive role. He led the Hawks in scoring (14.1 points per game), assists (5.8), and steals (1.2) and was second in rebounding (6.7).

Hall's size and playmaking are what make him stand out to scouts. He ranked 11th nationally in assists and while he doesn't project as a point guard at the next level, his passing ability could earn him minutes as a secondary ball-handler and facilitator.

"Having the ability to see the next player or see the play ahead and make the right read, it just feels good to make that pass and make your teammates score," Hall said.

Ellis, a 6-3 guard, has had a circuitous journey through the college ranks. A top recruit out of San Diego, he originally committed to Duke before switching to Memphis late in his high school career. He spent two seasons playing under Hardaway and was named the American Athletic Conference Co-Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore, when he averaged 10.2 points and shot 38.6 percent from 3-point range.

Ellis then elected to transfer to USC for the 2021-22 season. He started 33 games and was second on the Trojans in scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game.

He is capable of erupting on any given night, as evidenced by his performance in the Pac-12 Tournament Semifinal, when he dropped 27 points on 5-of-9 3-point shooting in a loss to 13th-ranked UCLA.

Born Rejean Ellis Jr., he got the nickname "Boogie" from his parents because of how much he danced as a baby. As he tries to dance his way into the NBA, he said his goal for the next few weeks is "just to soak it all in"

"Not a lot of guys get to go through this process, being in NBA facilities and get the opportunity to wear NBA (gear)," Ellis said. "Just taking what I can get from the experience and learning and seeing what I can get better at. Hearing out information because ultimately this is where I want to be."

Unless you've watched a lot of WAC basketball, you may not have heard of Aimaq, but the 6-11, 245-pound big man has made his presence felt over in that league the past few seasons.

Aimaq, who started his college career at Mercer in 2018-19 before transferring to Utah Valley, took home both WAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2020-21, when he averaged 13.9 points and led the nation in rebounding at 15.0 boards per game, the first Division I player in 40 years to pull down 15 boards per game (Kentucky star Oscar Tshiebwe matched the feat last season).

Aimaq followed that up with another impressive campaign in 2021-22, upping his scoring average to 18.9 points per contest, while still pulling down 13.5 rebounds, second in the nation behind Tshiebwe. He repeated as WAC Defensive Player of the Year.

After attempting just one 3-pointer in each of his first two college seasons, Aimaq added the shot to his repertoire last season and shot it well over a small sample size, going 20-for-46 from beyond the arc (43.5 percent).

The Vancouver native also practiced mixed martial arts growing up and earned a black belt before giving it up to focus on basketball.

"I started when I was young, so it's been five, six years since I've last done it," Aimaq said. "But I did it for about 10 years and it definitely helps me out on the court. I've learned a lot of different things that I use. Most of it is just stuff up here, mental toughness and all that."

Aimaq has been running parallel paths over the past several weeks, simultaneously declaring for the draft while also entering the NCAA's transfer portal. He committed to transferring to Texas Tech if he does elect to withdraw his name from the draft, a decision he said he hopes to sit down with his family and make in the coming days.

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Davidson's Lee Hoping to Carry Korean Banner into NBA

The first workout group includes Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq, Michigan center Moussa Diabate, USC guard Boogie Ellis, Saint Joseph's guard Jordan Hall, Davidson forward Hyunjung Lee, and Memphis forward Josh Minott.

PLAYER BIOS: Aimaq » &nbsp; Diabate » &nbsp; Ellis » &nbsp; Hall » &nbsp; Lee » &nbsp; Minott »

The 2022 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Pacers will have a top-nine pick in the draft (their exact pick number will be determined at next week's NBA Draft Lottery) as well as the first and last picks in the second round, the 31st and 58th overall selections.

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Pacers to Hold First Pre-Draft Workout on Friday, May 13

We're just two weeks away from finding out where the Pacers will pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Regardless of the lottery results, Indiana will have a top-nine pick for the first time since 1989. But it could be a very special night, as the Pacers have a 10.5-percent chance of landing the first overall pick and a 42.1-percent chance of picking in the top four.

The NBA has used a lottery system to determine the order at the top of the draft since 1985, with the latest reform to the lottery coming in 2019. NBA fans no doubt have watched the lottery on TV, but do you know how the lottery actually works? We've tried our best to outline what really happens on lottery night.

The first misconception about the lottery is that the televised lottery is the actual lottery drawing. In reality, the real drawing takes place in a separate room shortly before the ESPN show airs. In that room is a representative from each of the 14 teams in the lottery (in previous years the Pacers have been represented by recently retired Director of Media Relations David Benner), NBA officials, a media member, and a representative from the accounting firm of Ernst & Young.

For the lottery, 14 ping pong balls numbered 1 through 14 are placed in a lottery machine. The machine runs and four balls are chosen at random to generate a four-number combination (for example: 3, 5, 9, 13).

There are 1,001 possible four-digit combinations that can be drawn. Ahead of the lottery, 1,000 of those combinations will be assigned to the 14 lottery teams (the 1,001st combination is thrown out), with each team receiving a number of combinations equivalent to their percent odds of winning the top pick. Because the Pacers have a 10.5-percent chance of securing the number-one pick, they will receive 105 of the 1,000 four-digit combinations.

When the lottery begins, the first four-digit combination is drawn. Whichever team has that combination is awarded the first overall pick.

A second four-digit combination is then drawn to determine the second overall pick. The process repeats for the third and fourth picks. If any team is drawn more than once in this process (or if the one combination that does not belong to any team is drawn), the result is discarded and a new four-number combination is drawn.

Once the top four teams have been determined, the remaining teams are then slotted fifth through 14th based on their regular-season record. So while any lottery team can jump into any spot in the top four, no team can fall more than four spots from their pre-lottery position. Because the Pacers enter with the fifth-best odds, they can end up anywhere in the top nine depending on how the lottery unfolds, either jumping into the top four, staying fifth, or being bumped down to sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth.

Once the lottery results are official, Ernst & Young officials stuff and seal envelopes for the television portion of the lottery. Team representatives on hand for the actual lottery are sequestered in their room until the TV broadcast concludes.

The television broadcast unveils the draft order in the most dramatic fashion possible. Each team has a different representative on stage for the broadcast, where Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum announces the lottery results. Past Pacers representatives for the televised lottery included Nancy Leonard, Larry Bird, and Danny Granger.

Neither Tatum nor any of the representatives are aware of the lottery results before the broadcast. Tatum opens a series of envelopes to reveal the draft order, starting with identifying who will have the 14th pick and working his way up to the top pick.

Below are the Pacers' percent odds of securing each pick between first and ninth.

In two weeks, the ping pong balls will determine which pick the Pacers will have in the 2022 NBA Draft. Here's hoping for the luck of the draw.