2015 Draft Workouts

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Be sure to watch Pacers.com's one-on-one video interviews with all of the 2015 NBA Draft prospects who have participated in a pre-draft workout at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in the video playlist above. For complete draft coverage, visit Pacers.com/Draft.

Jeff Foster hit everything he threw up. Dale Davis threw up. Paul George showed a work ethic and coachable nature. One player who shall remain anonymous did not.

The Pacers' basketball braintrust has seen just about everything in the workouts leading up to the NBA draft over the years. They haven't seen enough to fire the scouting department or skip those trips to Chicago and other locales to observe draft prospects, but they've seen plenty. And once again they are hoping to see enough to feel confident they are calling the right names on June 25.

The Pacers will have had at least 36 players in for these last-look sessions by draft night. The candidates put up a lot of shots, partake in drills to test skills and agility, and play in controlled three-on-three scrimmages, running plays set up by coaches, before having lunch and conversation with members of the basketball staff.

Everything counts for something, but doesn't likely outweigh what a player did in college – especially if that career has lasted more than a season or two.

"I would hope the college career weighs a lot heavier than a workout," Pacers scouting director Ryan Carr said. "If our staff is out traveling around watching these guys for multiple years, that base of information should carry more weight than 45 minutes on a court, after they got in the night before from another workout.

"But it gives us a chance to get to know them."

In a simpler time, teams hardly bothered to get to know players. Scouts watched them play in college, often just on television, and made their selections based on distant impressions. Go back to the '70s, for example, and the starters on Indiana's undefeated national championship team in 1976. All were drafted, four in the first round, but none worked out for an NBA team. They got a phone call on draft day informing them they had been selected, and that was that.

By the late '80s, the process began expanding into something more complicated. Reggie Miller, for example, was brought in for an interview by the Pacers, but did not work out. A couple of years later, Rik Smits worked out for them, solo, with coach Jack Ramsay conducting. A decade later, players came through in small batches, and one or two under serious consideration might be brought back for a second look.

Now, they practically come in droves. And that's after hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent sending scouts throughout the country and around the globe, and attending the various pre-draft camps and tournaments, as well as workouts put on by agents.

It's a grueling process for teams and players alike, but it's become the norm. It's inevitable, given the high stakes.

"The NBA is a competitive place, and you always want another look," former Pacers president Donnie Walsh said.

Teams are practically forced to bring in players for up-close observation now, particularly those with high first-round picks. Time was, team personnel would go to Hawaii for a week to watch prospects play in games and talk with their agents. There's also the pre-draft tournament in Portsmouth, Va., an institution since 1953, and a camp in Chicago that began in 1982. The camps have tended not to attract the top talent, though, and that particularly became true when the draft lottery went into effect in 1985, when all the non-playoff teams had a shot at the No. 1 pick.

Today, the elite draft prospects only go to Chicago to be measured and interviewed. The second-tier guys might participate in drills and tests to exhibit their athleticism. The rest, hoping to find a place in the second round, or perhaps end of the first round, participate in scrimmages.

The bottom line is that if a team wants to really get to know one of the top-end picks, it's going to have to bring him in for a thorough and personal examination. By then, teams have seen a prospect play dozens of times and conducted background checks, but they'll want to see him perform against other top-end players and get to know him a little better.

Teams once tried to keep secret the names of the players they worked out, to protect their interests in the draft. That grew to be difficult, however, because most agents like to tell reporters where their clients are going to make them look good. Today, in the era of social media, secrecy has become impossible. A player can tweet where he works out if he wants. The Pacers, like several other teams, make their players available to the media after workouts to stay in the news.

A player's performance in a workout isn't the greatest factor in his draft position, but it certainly can tip the scales in his favor. And the Pacers have had some memorable ones.

Davis famously interrupted his session at the National Institute for Fitness and Sport in 1991 to vomit into a trash container, then walked back onto the court and said something along the lines of, "Let's go." That provided a preview of the toughness that made him the franchise's all-time leading rebounder in NBA games.

The Pacers were interested in Foster in 1999 because of his athleticism and physical style of play. When they brought him in, he drained jump shots, too. They brought him back for a second look on the day before the draft, and he did it again. Could it be?

"I thought, Maybe this guy can be a shooter, too," Walsh said. "We wanted him because of his big man skills. But he shot the ---- out of it."

"He made every jump shot," assistant coach Dan Burke confirmed. "Every jump shot."

"It was pretty incredible," added Carr, an intern at the time. "Little did we know he'd never make a jumper, but do everything else."

Foster also excelled in a drill set up by then-scouting director Al Menendez – a "star run," in which a player touched five cones placed around the court to test his quickness and agility. When Foster was finished, Menendez checked his stopwatch and shouted, "Third-fastest star run on record!"

"We're looking around like, There's a record for that?" Burke recalled.

The Pacers were sufficiently impressed to trade up from 29th to 21st in the first round to get Foster, and he turned out to be a good value. But not because he could hit a jump shot. He quickly lost confidence in it, but still lasted 13 seasons as a standout rebounder and defender.

Some other Pacers familiar to fans also stood out in their workouts. Smits showed enough shooting touch and agility in his audition in 1988 that Ramsay walked over to Walsh during the session and said, "Donnie, you have to take this guy."

Walsh was all the more impressed with Ramsay's recommendation, because at the time it seemed unlikely Smits would be an early contributor. It turned out he had to be after starting center Steve Stipanovich was injured, but Ramsay clearly wasn't being selfish and seeking someone who could contribute immediately and boost his won-loss record the next season.

Peja Stojakovic also made an impression on Walsh when he worked out for the Pacers in 1996.

"He was shooting the ball like (Larry) Bird," Walsh said. "It was unbelievable."

Walsh seriously considered drafting Stojakovic, but there were a couple of obstacles. He had a European contract, and nobody was sure if or when he would join the NBA. It turned out to be two years later. And, Smits had severe foot issues at the time – he wound up having surgery a couple of months after the draft. The Pacers were in a win-now mode, and needed insurance at center, so Erick Dampier was the choice.

As it turned out, Dampier was traded after one season with the Pacers to Golden State for Chris Mullin, and Stojakovic was acquired from Sacramento in 2006 for Ron Artest.

Ask Burke, who joined the Pacers in 1998, which workouts stand out in his memory and he rattles off names such as Nene, Jrue Holiday, Mario Chalmers, Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert, E'Twaun Moore, Jajuan Johnson, Draymond Green and Sam Young. It goes without saying everyone who's been drafted in the first round impressed. That's particularly true for Miles Plumlee, who was drafted 26th despite not having been a full-time starter at Duke.

Occasionally, however, someone comes through who barely seems interested. Burke recalls one player in particular, a one-and-done guy from a few years ago, who made him wonder why he had bothered to show up. That player was drafted in the first round after the Pacers selection, and already has been traded.

Carr said that happens once every two or three years.

"It's always surprising," Carr said. "You want to see the kids do their best, but there have been a few occasions when it's happened."

Little things sometimes make an impression. Burke, for example, was impressed with Terran Petteway this year for knowing the names of all his coaches at Nebraska, and their background. That's not always the case.

"If they only know three of the six coaches, you wonder how invested they were," Burke said.

Without question, attitude and effort are of prime importance. By the time a player comes in to an audition, teams already know a lot about his skill levels. A great shooting performance doesn't necessarily indicate a great shooter – as Foster proved – and a bad one won't ruin a kid's chance of being drafted. He might be tired from traveling around the country and working out for several teams, or he might just be having a bad day.

"If he's been a good shooter and comes in and has the same form and the fundamentals, then it doesn't bother me whether it goes in or not for that day," Walsh said. "They have to have good form, though."

Paul George, who was a relative unknown after playing just two seasons at Fresno State, wasn't much of a shooter when the Pacers worked him out in 2010, but that wasn't Bird's primary concern. George impressed in other ways, enough to be taken with the 10th pick.

"His athleticism was phenomenal," Carr said. "I wouldn't say Paul had the best workout you've ever seen – he was just a raw talent at that time – but he loved the game. He took coaching well and he cared about being a really good player. All that played out and he's become what he is."

That would be one of the best two-way players in the NBA, a two-time All-Star by the age of 23 and a defensive standout who happens to shoot well. George hit just .297 from 3-point range as a rookie, but was up to .385 the following season. He's now a career 36 percent 3-point shooter and an 82 percent shooter from the foul line.

Nobody could have predicted that after watching his pre-draft workout. But he provided enough clues for the Pacers to give him a chance to make it happen.

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Pacers Have Seen it All in Pre-Draft Workouts

The big guys came to town on Sunday, providing the Pacers with their most intriguing pre-draft workout yet.

Myles Turner and Frank Kaminsky went head-to-head in a workout that seemed designed almost exclusively for their benefit. In the portion of the halfcourt scrimmage the media was allowed to watch, the other four players – Penn State's D.J. Newbill, Arizona's T.J. McConnell, UC Davis' Corey (son of Hersey) Hawkins, and Villanova's Darrun Hilliard – were there primarily to feed them the ball. One of them touched the ball on each possession.

RELATED: Notes on All Six Prospects at Sunday's Workout »

It wouldn't be fair to declare Turner or Kaminsky the winner of their matchup, given the miniscule sample size. Turner showed agility on the perimeter, but didn't finish particularly well. Kaminsky had even more trouble finishing against Turner's defense, but hit his only media-viewed 3-point attempt. Turner has the better NBA body, was more communicative and, at 19, has more upside. Kaminsky is 22, practically ancient by the standard of first-round draft prospects, but is more proven, being the reigning consensus national player of the year.

Although Kaminsky is 7-foot and Turner 6-11, both are more effective away from the basket – which could be good, depending on the style of play of the team that drafts them. All in all, one could parse their skills, personality, age and potential forever, and never come up with a solid pre-draft favorite.

PHOTO GALLERY: Sunday's Pre-Draft Workout »

Turner averaged 10.15 points as a freshman at Texas, playing 22 minutes per game, along with 6.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots. He has a soft mid-range shooting touch, expressed best by his 84 percent free throw percentage last season, and has three-point range.

Kaminsky averaged 18.8 points at Wisconsin, playing 34 minutes per game, along with 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots. He hit 42 percent of his 3-pointers and 78 percent of his foul shots last season.

Both appear best suited to play a "stretch four" position, at least early in their careers, and both consider players of that ilk to represent the best of what they hope to become.

Turner draws comparisons to Portland's four-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, partly because both are 6-11 and attended Texas.

"Coach (Rick) Barnes showed me a lot of film on him in college," Turner said. "We have similar turnaround games."

Turner's workout was his second with an NBA team; he had been in Salt Lake City on Saturday to show his wares to Utah, and arrived in Indianapolis about midnight. Despite the short turnaround for the morning session with the Pacers, he was the most engaged player on the court, asking questions of coaches and conversing comfortably with media afterward.

His strengths? "Just my ability to learn, pay attention to detail, certain things like that," he said. "Teams know what I'm capable of, they've been seeing me since high school. They just want to see me be coached by their coaches, take in what they have to say, just play."

His potential? "I think I'll become a great player. It's what I think of about every day, every night before I go to bed, you have to think about what you can be. I envision myself having success at this level. But it's not going to come without hard work."

Turner showed unusual insight for a 19-year-old when discussing his busy workout schedule. Sunday's session was a back-to-back situation for him, and he was to fly to Denver in the evening for a workout on Tuesday. He said he'll work out for eight teams overall.

"I want to work out for all these teams, show them what I've got," he said. "Build relationships down the line. The second, third, fourth contract, you might not be with the same team you started with. You want to build relationships.

"The next two weeks I'm going to grind it out."

Kaminsky hopes to become another Dirk Nowitzki, the future Hall of Famer for Dallas, and has been studying video of Nowitzki during his pre-draft training sessions.

"I think I can be like Dirk," he said. "He has a variety of moves. He's not the most overly athletic guy, but he's been as successful as possible with what he has. If I can take something away from him, that's what I take. His work ethic, all his skills."

Kaminsky was not heavily recruited, and averaged just 1.8 points as a freshman at Wisconsin. He improved steadily each season, surpassing even his own expectations.

"I've been hopeful my whole life I'd make it to this position," he said. "When you're in the gym working out for yourself, and you're not playing much in practices, you tell yourself to work as hard as possible and see where it takes you. Obviously it's taken me to levels I didn't think I'd reach, but now I'm here and I'm not looking back."

Sunday's was his third visit. He has three more to go. Like Turner, he could be available to the Pacers with the 11th pick, or could go slightly higher.

"Do I think I should go No. 1 overall? No," he said. "But I think I can compete with anyone in this draft. I'm just excited about the challenge."

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Turner, Kaminsky Sized Up by Pacers

Wheat Hotchkiss

The Pacers held their sixth pre-draft workout on Sunday morning, concluding with a spirited three-on-three session. Four talented guards (UC-Davis' Corey Hawkins, Villanova's Darrun Hilliard, Arizona's T.J. McConnell, and Penn State's D.J. Newbill) were in town, but the headliners on Sunday were the two big men, 7-footer Frank Kaminsky and 6-11 Myles Turner.

In many ways, Kaminsky and Turner couldn't be more different.

Kaminsky was a three-star recruit out of high school, choosing Wisconsin over schools like Bradley and Northern Illinois. He played sparingly in his early days in Madison, but gradually evolved into one of the best players in all of college basketball, taking home consensus National Player of the Year honors as a senior. Kaminsky's game is extremely polished, but there are questions about how much better he can get.

Turner, meanwhile, was a blue-chip recruit and a McDonald's All-American before committing to Texas, where he had an up-and-down freshman season. The 19-year-old decided to turn pro after just one season in college. Though his overall game has plenty of room to grow, Turner possesses all the measurables that make NBA scouts drool.

RELATED: Turner, Kaminsky Sized Up by Pacers »

But despite all their differences, Kaminsky and Turner have strikingly similar skill sets. Both are athletic big men who move surprisingly well for players of their height. Each is comfortable shooting the ball from beyond the 3-point arc, a trait that could make either player an ideal fit as a stretch big man in the Pacers promised faster-pace offense.

The Pacers front office no doubt relished the chance to see the two projected lottery picks go head-to-head on Sunday and both players also enjoyed the challenge of battling on the interior with another likely lottery pick. It was just Turner's second workout with an NBA team (he was in Utah on Saturday) and his first time matching up with Kaminsky, who he called "very deserving" of all his collegiate accolades.

"Obviously, he’s a good test of where I am right now," Kaminsky said of his opposition. "He’s a very good player. It went well. We were both going at each other today and that’s what you want, you want to compete against good players."

Kaminsky is aware of the notion that he doesn't have the "upside" of a younger player like Turner, but he scoffs at the notion that he doesn't have room to grow. He went from averaging 1.8 points per game as a freshman at Wisconsin to 18.8 as a senior. If he can grow into a bigger role in college, why can't the same thing happen in the pros?

"I might not have as high a ceiling as some people, but I think my floor’s a lot higher than theirs," Kaminsky said. "That’s the way I approach it, and that’s the way I’m going to continue. I’m going to try to be as good as I can and I’m going to continue to work as hard as I can for as long as I can."

Kaminsky possesses probably the most polished offensive game of any post player in this year's draft class. Not only did he shoot 41 percent from 3-point range as a senior, he is comfortable handling the ball or posting up on the block. So Kaminsky's biggest focus in pre-draft workouts is on the defensive end.

Having grown up in the Chicago suburb of Lisle, Ill., Kaminsky said he'd be comfortable living in Indiana, with his family just a few hours drive away. But even more importantly, he thinks the Pacers are a good fit for his skillset.

"With the way the workout went and how they utilize big players, I think I’d fit into that system," Kaminsky said.

"They’re just looking for some offensive versatility and I think I bring that to the table. Just my ability to shoot the ball from the outside, put the ball on the floor, and post up, I think that could help."

Turner also believes that he could fit in well with the Blue & Gold.

"That’s one thing that I feel I’m comfortable with, getting up and down the floor (and) moving," Turner said. "They want to play a little bit smaller and I feel comfortable playing the 5, the 4, whatever’s asked of me."

With a 7-4 wingspan, Turner has the tools to develop into an elite shot-blocker at the next level. He averaged 2.6 rejections per game in his one college season.

But Turner's most intriguing attribute might be his ability to stretch the floor. Turner has a remarkably smooth and quick release for a player of his size and he flashed it shortly after the media was allowed into Sunday's workout, swishing a 3-pointer from the top of the key. He shot a pedestrian 27.4 percent from long range in college, but his 84-percent average from the free throw line suggests that he is a better shooter than his 3-point percentage suggests.

While his shooting may be his most coveted attribute, Turner is also anxious to show teams that he can score in the post. He wasn't asked to do that much in college, as Texas utilized him a lot on the perimeter in their offensive system.

"That’s where my money’s going to be made at the next level," Turner said. "I know that for a fact. I’m comfortable down on the block. It’s something that I’ve shown more."

Whether it's the Pacers or another team, there's a good chance that both Kaminsky and Turner hear their names called early on Draft Night, less than two weeks away. Both player admitted to being anxious for that night to come. Turner said he will undoubtedly experience "a whirlwind of emotions," while Kaminsky said he's especially eager to find out where he'll be playing.

"I’m looking forward to having a new home," Kaminsky said.

Two-Way Point Guard McConnell Hoping to Stick in Pros

T.J. McConnell is no stranger to the spotlight. He played a starring role for Arizona teams that reached the Elite Eight in both 2014 and 2015. McConnell was a finalist for the Cousy Award, handed out annually to the best point guard in college basketball, as both a junior and senior.

Still, McConnell admitted to being a little starstruck playing in front of Pacers President Larry Bird.

You wouldn't have known it by watching him play. The 6-2 guard dished out a number of impressive passes during the three-on-three session.

"I’m just trying to show my all-around game," McConnell said after the workout. "I’m trying to show I can stretch out and shoot the ball when I’m left open and just do what I do. I play hard on defense and get people the ball."

As a senior, McConnell averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. He seems to have all the tools to be a capable backup point guard in the NBA, but he knows that his biggest challenges will come on the defensive end simply due to his smaller stature.

"It’s night and day different," McConnell said about the differences in playing defense in the pros as opposed to college. "You’re guarding guys that are All-Stars and have played in the league for over 10 years. They’re quicker, they’re stronger, so you’ve got to get quicker and stronger yourself to be able to be an elite defender at this level."

Darrun Hilliard is a name all-too-familiar to Butler fans.

Perhaps the finest moment in his college career came at the expense of the Bulldogs. On Valentine's Day 2015, Hilliard broke a lot of hearts at Hinkle Fieldhouse, hitting a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to lift Villanova to an overtime win at Butler. That shot was the culmination of a career night for the 6-5 guard, who hit eight 3-pointers and scored 31 points in the victory.

"I hope that people have forgiven me," Hilliard joked on Sunday. "It wasn’t nothing personal. Last time I came back here after that game (for the college 3-point contest at Final Four weekend), they booed me a little bit."

Named a second-team All-American by the Sporting News, Hilliard was the best player on a loaded Villanova team that went 33-3 on the year and earned a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Bethlehem, Penn. resident averaged 14.3 points per game and shot 38.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc as a senior for the Wildcats.

Now, he's eager to show NBA scouts that he has the all-around tools to make an impact at the next level. Hilliard noted that he felt like he made great strides from his junior to senior seasons, and he feels like he has made another leap during the pre-draft process.

"I’m shooting the ball pretty well, defending pretty well," Hilliard said. "And I can handle the ball more so than people think. I think my physical attributes are a plus, too...I can defend multiple positions."

Sharpshooter Hawkins Hoping to Follow in Father's Footsteps

Corey Hawkins was very familiar with at least one person at Sunday's workout.

Pacers associate head coach Nate McMillan was teammates with Hawkins' father, Hersey, with the Seattle SuperSonics from 1995-98. The elder Hawkins began working with the Portland Trail Blazers front office in 2009, where McMillan was stationed as head coach at the time.

Corey Hawkins even spent his first college season at Arizona State, while Jamelle McMillan, Nate's son, was a senior on that same Sun Devils squad.

"It’s always nice to see a familiar face," Corey Hawkins said about being reunited with McMillan. "It makes it more comfortable, a little bit more relaxed. He gave me good advice throughout the workout."

Like his father, Hawkins is known for his shooting. He led the nation in 3-point percentage as a senior at UC-Davis (he spent his final three college seasons with the Aggies after transferring from Arizona State), connecting on 48.8 percent of his shots from long distance.

An all-around scorer, Hawkins scored 1,694 points in three seasons at UC Davis, averaging 20.9 points per contest as a senior. Corey and Hersey Hawkins have now combined for the second-most points by a father-son duo in NCAA history, trailing only Dell and Stephen Curry.

Still, the younger Hawkins feels like he is less of a known commodity since he played the majority of his college career at a mid-major school. But instead of coming with a chip on his shoulder, Hawkins tries to use his lack of exposure to his advantage during the pre-draft process.

"For me, it’s relaxed," Hawkins said. "I really have no high expectations to uphold, other than shooting. So I come in just looking to dominate every where I go because people probably don’t know much about Corey Hawkins, so I try to give them a reason to."

Newbill, Big Ten's Leading Scorer, Ready for NBA

With apologies to Hilliard and Hawkins, D.J. Newbill may have been the most accomplished scorer at Sunday's workout.

The 6-2 guard amassed 1,812 points in three seasons at Penn State (he spent his freshman year at Southern Miss before transferring to State College). As a senior, he averaged 20.7 points per game for the Nittany Lions, the best scoring average in the Big Ten.

Newbill feels that playing in such a strong conference has better prepared him for the challenges of pre-draft workouts. The biggest challenge for him will be proving that he can handle the ball. At 6-2, he's probably too small to play off the ball full-time in the NBA. He wasn't a pure point guard in college, but he did handle the ball quite a bit, dishing out 3.1 assists as a senior (but also racking up 2.7 turnovers per contest).

Newbill said some scouts have also voiced concern in his "funky release" on his shot, but he said he's made no mechanical adjustments (he shot 37 percent from 3-point range this past season).

Despite the critiques of his game, Newbill has relished the pre-draft process.

"I get to compete against some of the best players in the country and go out here and chase my dream," Newbill said.

The Pacers own the 11th and 43rd overall selections in the 2015 NBA Draft, which will take place on June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

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Weekend Workout Brings in Two Marquee Bigs, Scoring Guards

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Pre-Draft Workouts: June 14, 2015

It sounds like fun, being a professional athlete in your hometown. Your family and friends can see you play, you never get lost and you're more likely to get endorsement opportunities.

Then again, nothing comes without a price.

Trey Lyles hopes he gets to find out. The 6-10 forward from Kentucky, barely more than a year removed from leading Tech High School to a state championship, was one of six players working out for the Pacers on Thursday, and could be available to them with the 11th pick in the first round.

Just two of Thursday's draft hopefuls are projected in the first round, Lyles and Arkansas forward Bobby Portis. They were matched up in head-to-head competition in three-on-three scrimmages, but media members are not permitted to see enough of the sessions to draw a valid conclusion.

RELATED: SEC Big Men Headline Thursday's Workout »

Lyles, who also has worked out in Phoenix and Miami, is a bit of a wild card. He'll go in the first round, certainly, but some projections have him going before the Pacers pick and some after. Some have him going to the Pacers, too, a natural bit of guesswork since he grew up in Indianapolis.

Nobody seems quite sure what to make of his potential, though. He was thrown into a mix of exceptional talent in his only college season at Kentucky, which muted his contributions. (He averaged just 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds). Two of his teammates, Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein are expected to go ahead of him, and another, Devin Booker also will go in the first round.

PHOTO GALLERY: Thursday's Pre-Draft Workout »

Lyles is regarded as a mature, skilled player who can score inside and out. He has a 7-foot-4 wingspan and plays an intelligent game – "an old man's game," some say. But, he's not an explosive athlete, and doesn't have that one exceptional skill that makes him stand out. He is best-suited to play small forward offensively, but hit just 14 percent of his college 3-pointers. He is best-suited to play power forward defensively, but lacks the strength to guard the David Wests of the NBA. Then again, what 19-year-old doesn't?

That's the thing, Lyles is 19 and far from a finished work. It's impossible to know what he'll become. But whatever he becomes, he wouldn't mind it happening in Indianapolis.

"Being somewhere where you watched a lot of games when you were a kid and actually being able to go out there and work out for the team, it's a special situation for myself," he said Thursday.

"My family likes the Pacers, I watched them growing up, so it would be a cool situation. I'm a team-first guy and this is a team-first organization."

Lyles has attended several Pacers games over the years. Once, he was given an opportunity to meet Shaquille O'Neal, when O'Neal played for Miami, but was "too scared." Playing home games in the same Fieldhouse where he led Tech to its state championship to seasons ago, and for that matter the same city where Kentucky played its Final Four game a few months ago, sounds like a dream.

It probably would be, but not without its nightmarish elements. The Pacers' all-time roster includes seven men who played high school basketball in Marion County: Bobby Jo Edmonds (Attucks High School), Billy Keller (Washington), George McGinnis (Washington), Charles Jordan (Shortridge), Wayne Radford (Arlington), Randy Wittman (Ben Davis) and George Hill (Broad Ripple).

Two others, Jerry Sichting (Martinsville) and Josh McRoberts (Carmel) grew up in neighboring counties.

Keller and McGinnis got to see the best and worst of the experience while playing on championship teams in the ABA hey-day. They highly recommend it, but attach a warning label.

"I loved it," said Keller, who played seven seasons for the Pacers and is one of four to have played on all three championship teams. "My folks were able to see me play, and I could leave tickets for friends. I didn't feel any pressure. It was like playing in high school."

"It was wonderful," McGinnis said. "You were comfortable. You grew up here and had a lot of friends.

"But it could be a blessing and a curse," he quickly added.  "You have to make sure you keep it in perspective."

And there's the catch. There's a downside to being in such familiar surroundings. People are going to want favors, whether it's tickets to a game, a loan or an outright gift. Those issues are only amplified today, with salaries that have skyrocketed and are well-publicized.

"Making a lot of money is a game-changer," Keller said. "There's too many opportunities for people to get a piece of you and distract you. You start lending people money, and they don't pay you back."

McGinnis, the co-Most Valuable Player of the ABA in the 1974-75 season, probably was the highest-paid Pacers player before they joined the NBA, and at his peak the most popular. He had to learn to tell people no, something Hill no doubt has had to do.

Some people came to McGinnis for money. More often they wanted tickets, and/or a reserved parking place. He had to learn to defend, to put up an occasional stiff-arm. He received four comps for each home game at the Coliseum, but that wasn't nearly enough to cover his family members and closest friends, not to mention the mere acquaintances.

"It was always something," he said. "You had to separate yourself from some people. You were a bad guy as far as they were concerned, but you had to do it to keep your sanity.

"You end up spending more time working on those type of things than thinking about the game you had to play. I'd say, 'If I can't get you a ticket, I'll buy you a ticket. I don't want to make five or six calls to the Pacers office to get a ticket and a parking spot for you.'"

Years later, those memories tend to fade. Keller and McGinnis still live in Indianapolis, and built post-playing careers here. Keller coached at Brebeuf High School and Indiana Central, and ran a shooting camp for 37 years. McGinnis owns GM Supply Co. on the city's east side.

That's another advantage to playing in your home city. You have a wide network to begin with, and it's easier to expand it. That brings more business opportunities, and makes initiating them easier.

Keller and McGinnis led the Pacers in endorsements during their playing careers. Keller was a spokesman for the American Dairy Association for three years (they even wrote a song for him, "The Ballad of Billy Keller"), Jerry Alderman Ford, B&B Trailer Sales and Raccoon Lake. McGinnis had arrangements with a car dealer and Marathon Oil, among others. He and Keller shared endorsements with Tom Raper RV and Gatorade.

It's hardly automatic, though. Keller and McGinnis were standout players on teams that won championships. But the opportunities are there, amplified, for the hometown players. Or, as Hill is called, the "Hometown Hero."

It's far too early to make that sort of prediction for Lyles. But the possibility is there, and he doesn't shy away from it, as if Shaq were lurking around the corner.

"I don't think it would matter to me," he said. "I've played in a lot of different places before, and being able to play at home would be good for my family. It doesn't matter to me where I play at."

playing-in-indy-doesnt-frighten-lyles

Playing in Indy Doesn't Frighten Lyles

The Pacers brought in a bevy of talented post players for their fifth pre-draft workout on Thursday morning at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Most draft workouts feature just two big men (or in some cases, none), but Thursday's session featured four players who likely project to play the power forward position in the pros: Kentucky's Trey Lyles, LSU's Jordan Mickey, Wyoming's Larry Nance, Jr., and Arkansas' Bobby Portis.

The presence of those four players created a competitive dynamic for Thursday's workout, which also featured Ohio State point guard Shannon Scott and D-League guard Jarvis Threatt. Once again, Pacers head coach Frank Vogel and his coaching staff led the proceedings, which concluded with three-on-three work.

The SEC isn't known as a traditional power in basketball, but each of the three biggest names in town on Thursday (Lyles, Mickey, and Portis) hail from that conference. Draft experts list Lyles and Portis as consensus first-round picks with a good chance of going in the lottery, while Mickey is seen as a late first or early second-rounder.

Each of the three players embraced the opportunity to battle against their conference rivals. Portis and Lyles were matched up on each other during the portion of three-on-three work open to the media, and each player drilled a contested jumper over his opponent. Mickey got in on the action, too, rotating over from Nance to block Portis at the rim on one occasion.

"It's always a joy," Mickey said about being reunited with Lyles and Portis. "Those are very competitive guys. They hate to lose, so it was fun going against them."

Added Lyles: "It pushes me to go out there and compete and try to get the better of my opponent. (Portis) is a good competitor and we went out there and worked hard today."

It's easy to forget given how Lyles' Kentucky squad dominated league play, but Bobby Portis was actually the SEC Player of the Year for the 2014-15 season, when he averaged 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for the Razorbacks as a sophomore.

Measuring out at 6-11 with a 7-2 wingspan, Portis is a plus-level athlete with a versatile offensive game. Due to Arkansas' system, he didn't post up a ton in college, but is confident that he has a good enough post game to score at the next level.

"We played a five-out pass-and-cut kind of offense, so that's the kind of knock on me right now," Portis said. "But I'm trying to show people that I can post up."

Portis is also an above-average shooter for a big man, despite an unorthodox high release. He hit on a high percentage of his shots from the mid-range and even knocked down 46.7 percent of his shots from beyond the 3-point arc, albeit on just 30 attempts. He said after Thursday's workout that he feels pretty comfortable with the corner 3-point shot, but is still adjusting to the longer arc in the NBA.

Portis' best attribute, however, is his high motor. The Little Rock native played with exceptional energy in college and dominated the offensive glass. If he can bring that same intensity at the next level, Portis could be an immediate asset off the bench for the team that drafts him.

He is also an entertaining interview. When I asked him whether it was fair to say he "played angry" in college, Portis' response was incredible.

"I try to get mad before every game," Portis said. "I try to envision someone hitting my mom. That's what makes me mad. Even before practice, I try to do that so I can go out and be aggressive."

While Portis took home conference Player of the Year honors, Jordan Mickey got plenty of accolades himself, being named to the First Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team. As a sophomore at LSU, Mickey averaged 15.4 points per game, led the conference in rebounding (9.9 per contest), and led the nation in blocked shots (3.6 per game).

Mickey's defensive expertise figures to be the thing most likely to translate to the next level. Though he only measured out at a little over 6-8 at the NBA Draft Combine, Mickey has a 7-3 wingspan that allowed him to swat 219 shots in just two years in college.

"(It's) just a lot to do with timing and not fouling," Mickey said of his shot-blocking prowess. "You've got to learn where to put your hands at, and try not to give the refs an out."

Offensively, Mickey's game is still a little raw. Though he maintained on Thursday that he's a capable jump shooter, Mickey didn't take a ton of jumpers at LSU. His smaller frame also figures to hurt his ability to score in the post in the pros.

He didn't do much offensively in the latter portions of Thursday's workout, but Mickey's block on Portis drew audible gasps from some of the media in attendance. That's a skill set that should definitely translate to the NBA. Mickey's elite defensive skills and athleticism could be enough for a team to take a chance on him in the late first round.

"I'm getting real excited and antsy," Mickey said about Draft Night, which is two weeks away. "I can't wait for the day."

Trey Lyles is also already starting to anticipate hearing his name called.

"I'm going to be all over the place," Lyles said. "Being a kid that's wanted to play in the NBA my whole life, to be drafted and being a kid that watched the draft at home, and to actually do (hear my name called) is going to be crazy for me."

Pacers.com's Mark Montieth focused on what it was like for the 2014 Indiana Mr. Basketball to workout for his hometown team, but the most interesting part of Lyles' development as a prospect is the role he played for a loaded Kentucky team.

Though he's a natural power forward, Lyles was asked to play primarily at the small forward position for the Wildcats, allowing likely lottery picks Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns to man the post. In many ways, that might have been a huge blessing for Lyles, allowing him to hone his skills on the perimeter and guard smaller players.

Still, playing for such a stacked roster also forced Lyles to make some individual sacrifices. His stat line (8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game) isn't eye-popping, but Lyles is confident that he can bring a lot to an NBA team from day one.

"Being able to make plays for myself and my teammates, post-up game stuff like that, just different things that the team didn't need from me because we had it all in areas that we needed, now being on another level I'll be able to showcase that stuff," Lyles said.

Despite NBA Pedigree, Nance, Jr. Has Something to Prove

Larry Nance, Jr. comes from basketball royalty. His father was a three-time All-Star who spent 13 years with the Suns and Cavaliers and defeated Dr. J in the 1984 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Larry, Jr. possesses similar athleticism to his father, but he wasn't a blue-chip recruit coming out of high school. According to Rivals.com, Nance had seven scholarship offers, but they were from four MAC schools, Milwaukee, Western Carolina, and Wyoming, where he eventually committed.

Nance enjoyed a stellar four-year career in Laramie, where he had a double-digit scoring average in each of his final three years on campus. He averaged 16.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game as a senior, a stat line good enough to earn a selection to the First Team All-Mountain West and conference co-Defensive Player of the Year honors. More importantly, Nance helped the Cowboys advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000-01.

Despite his accomplishments, Nance, Jr. still feels like he's got a lot to prove in these workouts. Being from a mid-major college, he plays with an extra chip on his shoulder, eager to show that his athleticism translates even against the best of the best.

And his dad is in his corner every step of the way.

"He actually came up to Indy last night and hung out with me a little bit," Nance, Jr. said. "(He) just kind of said, 'Be yourself...you're all energy, great athlete, teams love to see that.' So as long as I can show that, he's happy."

High-Flying Threatt Used to Professional Game

Jarvis Threatt is trying to follow a path that's becoming more and more common to the NBA. Threatt spent the last season in the NBA Development League after getting dismissed from the University of Delaware. In recent years, players like Glen Rice, Jr. and P.J. Hairston have spent a season in the D-League before entering the NBA Draft.

Threatt, a 6-2 guard, believes that his experience in the D-League better prepared him for the next level.

"After playing in the D-League this year, I've gained so much respect for it," Threatt said. "Playing against pros, the talent level... it's completely different from college, as far as the system and the gameplay. So I definitely feel like I have a leg up."

2015 Draft Workouts

Pacers Have Seen it All in Pre-Draft Workouts

Turner, Kaminsky Sized Up by Pacers

Weekend Workout Brings in Two Marquee Bigs, Scoring Guards

Pre-Draft Workouts: June 14, 2015

Playing in Indy Doesn't Frighten Lyles

SEC Big Men Headline Thursday's Workout

Pre-Draft Workouts: June 11, 2015

Pre-Draft Workout Participants: June 11, 2015