Indiana Pacers: 5 Players To Consider With 20th Pick

Denzel Valentine

6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Michigan State (senior)
2015-16 College Stats: 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.8 assists. 46.2 FG percentage, 44.4 3P percentage.

A few weeks ago, it seemed improbable that Denzel Valentine would be available at pick no. 20.

Valentine was thought of as a late lottery or just outside the lottery pick before concerns over a troubling knee has sent him sliding down mock drafts. As CBSSports.com’s Gary Parrish says in that report, Valentine could’ve gone in the top 10 picks if not for the knee concerns.

Picking in the top 10 comes with more risk. You can’t whiff on a player with a top 10 pick. You can feel more comfortable with that risk with the 20th pick.

Valentine would seem to be a player that Larry Bird seems to value as a senior who played for Tom Izzo, a Hall of Fame coach known for instilling fundamentals, defense, and toughness in his players.

Bird did follow that up by selecting a 19-year old college freshman just days later, but Bird has never been one to throw smoke-screens at the media and is typically honest to a fault.

As for Valentine’s game, he’s a do-it-all wing who can run an offense as a wing. He’s not athletic, but has a smooth game that leverages his lack of athleticism with an incredible feel for the game and basketball IQ.

His athleticism lowers the ceiling for his potential, but he’d appear to be a pretty safe bet to be a productive NBA player.

He’s been compared to quite a few NBA players, but in my opinion he’s Evan Turner with a three-point shot, which makes him much more dangerous than Turner, who is a solid player in his own right.

Valentine will turn 23 just weeks into the NBA season and can contribute right away and add some much-needed depth to the Pacers’ backcourt, which had struggles with inconsistency by everyone last season.

Valentine would also provide some solid shooting at the wing, something that Monta Ellis and Rodney Stuckey have struggled to do throughout their careers.

Ellis and Stuckey are both slashers who are entering their 30s and Valentine could replace them or allow the team to trade them for other pieces down the road.

If Valentine is available when the Pacers are on the clock, Larry Bird should jump at the opportunity to take him.

Next: The Prototypical Shooting Guard