5 Players The Indiana Pacers Should Consider Taking With 11th Pick
Willie Cauley-Stein
Kentucky (JR.)
7’0 240 lbs
College per game stats: 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks. 57.2 FG%. 61.7 FT%
GIF that will make you want Cauley-Stein on your team:
Why The Pacers Should Pick Cauley-Stein:
If the Pacers want to get more athletic and run a bit more without sacrificing the elite rim protection that Roy Hibbert gives them, Larry Bird is probably salivating at the chance that Willie Cauley-Stein falls to the Pacers. Bird has already said he thinks Cauley-Stein is a “$100 million player” so it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he’s the number one player the Pacers are wanting in the draft.
If size, athleticism, rim protection, and rebounding are the most important tool for a center in today’s NBA, Cauley-Stein should easily earn that $100 million that Bird mentioned. Cauley-Stein is extremely athletic for his size. If Hibbert is the slow, plodding big man who is becoming obsolete in the league, Cauley-Stein is the kind of naturally graceful athlete that is causing him to be obsolete. A sign of his athleticism is that in high school even at 6’10, he was a starting wide receiver who put up 57 receptions, 1,140 yards, and 14 touchdowns as a senior.
Cauley-Stein is the type of defender who blocks a lot of shots, but those blocked shots don’t tell the whole story of how he impacts a game defensively. The amount of shots that Cauley-Stein changes with his mere presence is the true impact. What separates him from other rim protectors is his ability to defend multiple positions. His athleticism and length help him defend anybody and everybody. Remember when teams like the Hawks or Suns would space the floor and make Hibbert choose between leaving the paint open or leaving his man open? That would turn from a weakness to a strength with Cauley-Stein. Some of the better offensive-minded talented NBA teams run plays designed to find and exploit mismatches. No team did this better than the Warriors and their weave offense is designed to run until the defense switches a big onto one of their guards and exploiting from then. Check it out.
This type of offense that is catching on more and more would abuse the Pacers’ slow-footed Hibbert. Imagine Steph Curry or Klay Thompson isolating Hibbert 25 feet from the basket. Not good. These type of plays are why Cauley-Stein will be so coveted at the next level. He’s tall and strong enough to defend big men and long and quick enough to bother guards. That type of defensive versatility is something that makes Cauley-Stein so valuable.
At Kentucky, Cauley-Stein didn’t do much outside of the paint on offense. His offensive rebounding is his best offensive skill. His mid-range jump shot has developed in his three years at Kentucky, but it’s unknown if he’s comfortable taking 12-footers in games yet. His free throw numbers improved from 37% as a freshman to 61.7% as a junior, an encouraging sign for a player who has been taking time to develop more of a skilled game.
Cauley-Stein is among the safest picks in the draft. It’s hard to imagine someone with his size, athleticism, and effort levels failing to be a rotation-worthy big man. Worst case, he’s Chris Andersen without so many tattoos and off-the-court issues. Best case, he’s a more mobile Tyson Chandler with a mid-range jump shot.
Next: Stanley Johnson