2014 NBA Post-Draft Profile: Arizona State Center Jordan Bachynski
Potential Landing Spots
Bachynski has already worked out for the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs, and was invited to participate in the Charlotte Hornets summer league. Here’s why those teams could each look to sign Bachynski.
New York Knicks
The Knicks were already lacking size up front, and by trading Tyson Chandler to Dallas, they no longer have any sort of true inside presence, although Cole Aldrich showed some limited promise in that regard late last season for New York.
Bachynski’s build and shot-blocking ability might intrigue the Knicks as far as filling the void created by Chandler’s departure, especially if newly acquired Samuel Dalembert (whom New York received from Dallas) doesn’t work out as a viable long-term option.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors worked Bachynski out on May 29, so there’s some obvious interest in the center on their part. Jonas Valanciunas did a good job for the Raptors in helping them to an Atlantic Division title. But he could use a better backup than Chuck Hayes. And if Toronto — which lost in the opening round of the playoffs as a No. 3 seed last year — is going to take a further step in the postseason, Bachynski’s size and defense off the bench could help.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs, the most international team in NBA history last season, have made a habit of unearthing foreign-born talent from a variety of countries to fill play key roles, so tapping Canada for a tall, shot-blocking center, might be something they’d consider.
With Kawhi Leonard comfortably stepping into a star role at forward and Tim Duncan only having so many years left, a player like Bachynski could become yet another San Antonio player from outside the United States who could give the Spurs some depth along with Tiago Splitter, Boris Diaw, Austin Daye and fellow Arizona State Sun Devil, 250-pounder Jeff Ayres, for the future.
Indiana Pacers
Roy Hibbert was an All-Star turned invisible enigma as last season wore on, Andrew Bynum has only played a full 82-game slate in one (his second) of his eight NBA seasons and a Spurs international castoff, Frenchman Ian Mahinmi, is only serviceable at best.
Thus, any depth Indiana can get at the center position might be useful, especially when interior play at each end of the floor was supposed to be (but wasn’t) a main advantage that the Pacers were counting on to topple the now four-time defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in the postseason.
Charlotte Hornets
Al Jefferson was great for the Bobcats (now Hornets) last year, but he logged 35 minutes per game. Part of the reason that number is that high is because Jefferson was good enough to keep on the floor for that long. The other part is that there wasn’t often a reliable enough option to allow Jefferson to rest more often.
Backups Bismack Boyombo and Brendan Haywood didn’t provide much behind Jefferson last season, which is likely why the Hornets are willing to get a good look at Bachynski this summer.