Indiana Pacers: Complete 2017 offseason grades

The Indiana Pacers have been very active this summer, adding nine new players to their roster. Here are the team’s complete offseason grades for 2017.

General manager Kevin Pritchard and the Indiana Pacers have been extremely busy this summer. The team already had their offseason plans in place when they learned that All-Star small forward Paul George didn’t plan to stay in Indiana long-term.

After the news broke regarding Paul George’s intentions, the Pacers had to revise their team-building approach for this summer, as well as the years to come.

Kevin Pritchard and team owner Herb Simon went into scramble mode, developing a new philosophy that will no longer be based on building around George.

Indiana’s game plan has now become to load the roster with young players who have talent, but perhaps haven’t fully developed as NBA players.

The team is also now targeting players who are high-character people and known for being team-oriented and unselfish both on and off the basketball court.

The Pacers know they can’t go out and “buy” big-time free agents, so they must acquire younger players with potential and develop them from within.

Indiana has added nine new players since the end of the 2016-17 campaign; here is a rundown of each move (draft picks, trades and free agent signings) the team has made this summer.

T.J. Leaf, PF

Acquired: Via 2017 NBA Draft, No. 18 overall

When pick No. 18 rolled around on draft night, the Pacers’ front office personnel was reportedly unanimous in its top choice among the players remaining on the board — that player was T.J. Leaf.

Leaf is a gifted offensive player who is skilled and versatile on that end of the floor. He is a high-percentage outside shooter, he’s effective driving to the basket and possesses a polished post-up game.

T.J. Leaf is a good athlete who rebounds well (8.2 boards per game as a UCLA freshman). He is also an underrated passer who has a nice overall feel for the game.

Leaf’s major weaknesses are his thin frame and his limited defensive potential. He should be able to bulk up during his time in Indiana, but his low ceiling as a defender could be more problematic.

In order to get minutes, Leaf will have to show that he can develop into an adequate defensive player at the NBA level. If he can’t, there is a possibility that he could end up being a bust as a mid-first round pick.

Based on his offensive skill level and potential as an NBA stretch-4, T.J. Leaf appears to have been a solid choice at No. 18 in June’s draft.

However, Leaf has plenty of work to do in order to compete for meaningful playing time with the Pacers, so he isn’t likely to be a significant contributor in the near future.

Grade: B

Ike Anigbogu, C

Acquired: Via 2017 NBA Draft, No. 47 overall

Ike Anigbogu was the second of two UCLA freshmen chosen by the Pacers in the 2017 NBA Draft. Anigbogu was projected to go much higher, but fell to the second round due to a lingering knee injury.

Anigbogu was so highly thought of going into the draft that there was talk of Indiana considering him in the first round (No. 18 overall), so the team was very happy to land him with the 47th overall selection.

Anigbogu’s value at this stage is in his future potential; he is only 18 years old, but possesses some intriguing physical gifts. He has an NBA-ready body (6’10”, 250 pounds) in addition to an elite wingspan of 7’6″.

Ike Anigbogu projects to be a defensive force, as he is very mobile and can effectively guard the pick-and-roll. He is also a good shot-blocker, and in time, could be dominant in that area.

Anigbogu has a non-stop motor, and he is particularly strong on the offensive glass. However, his overall offensive game is very raw, so he may never be much of a scorer at the next level.

The Pacers hit a home run with this pick in terms of value — they obtained a consensus first round talent with a late second round choice.

Indiana can allow Ike Anigbogu to get healthy and come along slowly as an NBA player. Even in the worst-case scenario of Anigbogu never amounting to much, the Pacers’ risk level is nearly zero, which makes Anigbogu an outstanding draft pick at No. 47.

Grade: A

Edmond Sumner, PG/SG

Acquired: Via trade (New Orleans Pelicans)

The Pacers made another far-sighted investment in their future when they decided to send cash to the Pelicans in exchange for the player New Orleans had selected with the No. 52 overall pick, combo guard Edmond Sumner.

Sumner has an alarming history of injuries, the latest being an ACL tear that he is still in the process of rehabbing. However, he is thought to have lottery-level talent, thus Indiana’s move to purchase his draft rights.

Sumner possesses impressive physical tools, standing 6’5″ with a 6’9″ wingspan. He is an elite athlete who has quickness, speed and the ability to play above the rim.

Edmond Sumner’s offensive strength is taking the ball to the basket. He is also a very good one-on-one defensive player when he is focused (which does not happen on every possession).

Despite his high talent level, Sumner does have several identifiable weaknesses as a player — perhaps the most glaring is his poor outside shooting (he lacks good mechanics at this point in his development).

Sumner’s “handle” needs work, and that combined with his questionable decision-making have led to a problem with turnovers during his two-year college career at Xavier.

Edmond Sumner is not a prospect who will pay dividends right away, but the retooling Pacers have time to wait on him. He has flaws, but he was a very cheap/low-risk acquisition who was a great value pick late in the second round of the draft.

Grade: B+

Victor Oladipo, SG and Domantas Sabonis, PF

Acquired: Via trade (Oklahoma City Thunder)

After finalizing the Paul George deal with the Thunder, Kevin Pritchard shared that he’s had his eye on Victor Oladipo for quite some time, and that the team targeted Oladipo while trade talks were ongoing.

Victor Oladipo is an exceptional athlete, and he utilizes that talent on both ends of the court. He drives to the basket very well and he routinely makes spectacular plays in the open court. “Dipo” is also a good rebounder and passer for a shooting guard.

Oladipo is arguably one of the best defensive guards in the NBA, which will be a huge plus for a Pacers team that struggled on that end of the floor last season.

Intangibles are also a strength for Oladipo, as he is a high-character guy who is dedicated and works hard to improve his game; he should be an asset in the locker room and in the community.

Oladipo is only an average shooter, but he has shown steady improvement in that area as a pro. He doesn’t get to the free throw line enough for a slasher, and his assist-to-turnover ratio is not very good (a career mark of 1.48).

Domantas Sabonis also came to Indiana in the Paul George trade, and while he was not the primary player in that deal, the Pacers love his potential and made a point of acquiring him from the Thunder.

“Domas” came to the NBA from Gonzaga with a solid all-around game for a young player. He has good post-up skills and can shoot with range. He is also savvy when it comes to driving the lane and finding ways to finish inside.

Sabonis is considered an excellent rebounder and he has already proven to be a good defensive player at the NBA level. On the surface, there is a lot to like about the 6’11” second-year power forward.

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When examining Sabonis’ rookie season in Oklahoma City, however, there are some possible red flags. Sabonis is not a top-flight athlete, so his ceiling is somewhat limited in that respect.

Also, he struggled shooting the ball in 2016-17, posting shooting splits of .399/.321/.657. Playing with a ball-dominant player like Russell Westbrook may have had a negative impact on Sabonis’ development as a first-year pro, but his erratic shooting does raise some questions.

Under the circumstances, the Pacers were never going to get equal trade value for Paul George. However, Kevin Pritchard weighed his options and decided that this was the best deal for the franchise.

Indiana is high on the futures of Oladipo and Sabonis, and if they can continue their growth and begin to fulfill their potential as NBA players, this trade will in essence have minimized the damage done by Paul George’s forced exodus.

Grade: B-

Darren Collison, PG

Acquired: Via free agency (Sacramento Kings)

This will be Darren Collison’s second tour of duty with the Indiana Pacers, as he was previously with the team from 2010-12. Collison was obtained in a trade to shore up the point guard position, but eventually lost his starting spot to George Hill.

Collison was a second-year player when he first joined the Pacers, and he has grown in the five years since he last played in Indiana. Collison is much more experienced and comfortable in a leadership role going into his ninth NBA campaign.

Darren Collison has also improved as a shooter since his early days in the league, as he is now a legitimate threat both inside and outside the 3-point line.

He is steady as a playmaker, although he is primarily a scoring point guard. Collison struggles on the defensive end of the floor due to his lack of height (6’0″) and slight frame at 175 pounds.

Collison appears to be a good choice as a transitional player for the Pacers until they settle on their lead guard of the future — that player may or may not be on the current roster.

Kevin Pritchard wisely protected the team’s future with Collison’s contract, since it’s a reasonable two-year deal for $20 million, with only $2 million guaranteed in the second year.

Darren Collison isn’t the flashiest acquisition, but he should give Indiana a quality veteran presence and add stability to the team’s young roster.

The Pacers’ goal is to cultivate young talent while remaining competitive, and Darren Collison will help them do just that while playing on a team-friendly contract.

Grade: B

Bojan Bogdanovic, SF

Acquired: Via free agency (Washington Wizards)

When it was announced that the Pacers had signed free agent small forward Bojan Bogdanovic, the move was almost universally hailed as a terrific signing for Indiana.

Bogdanovic has a reputation as a great shooter, and the Pacers needed both a starting-caliber small forward and more shooting ability in the lineup — thus the positive reaction from Pacers Nation.

We’re going to dig a little deeper into what Bogdanovic brings to the table, and what we reveal might temper your enthusiasm for the 6’8″ forward.

Bojan Bogdanovic is a career 37 percent 3-point shooter, and that number matches what he did during the 2016-17 season. By contrast, the man Bogdanovic is essentially replacing, C.J. Miles, hit 41 percent from beyond the arc last year.

Statistically, Bogdanovic is barely above-average as a 3-point shooter, so his reputation as a “great” shooter likely stems from his hot streaks that fans and media see through game highlights.

Bojan Bogdanovic is definitely a lights-out deep shooter at times, but his overall 3-point percentage tells us that he goes through plenty of cold spells as well.

However, the most disturbing thing about Bojan Bogdanovic’s game — and there’s really no nice way to say this — is his non-existent defense.

Advanced metrics such as NBA Defensive Real Plus-Minus analytics from ESPN indicate that Bogdanovic is simply one of the worst defenders in the NBA, ranking 466th out of 468 total players in the league last season.

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Bogdanovic’s effort is not in question, but his poor lateral movement and lack of athleticism have made him an easy mark as a defensive player.

On the plus side, Bogdanovic is probably underrated as an offensive player inside the arc; he is crafty at driving to the basket and/or finishing around the rim in traffic.

The contract Bogdanovic signed is worth $21 million over two years, with only $1.5 million guaranteed for 2018-19. If Bogdanovic fails his first-year audition with the Pacers, the team can move on from him quite easily.

Bojan Bogdanovic was a fairly low-risk acquisition for Indiana, and he should be able to add some offensive punch to the club. His deficiencies will be a problem, but his short-term contract makes this signing much more palatable.

Grade: C

Cory Joseph, PG

Acquired: Via trade (Toronto Raptors)

Indiana chose not to re-sign shooting specialist C.J. Miles this summer, but Kevin Pritchard found a way to extract value out of Miles as he was on his way to Toronto.

The Pacers and Raptors agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that sent Miles and foreign prospect Emir Preldzic to Toronto in exchange for promising point guard Cory Joseph.

Joseph fits the profile of the kind of player Indiana is looking for: a young, talented player who has not reached his full potential as an NBA performer.

Joseph has spent six years in the NBA as a backup guard — four years with the San Antonio Spurs, followed by two seasons with the Raptors.

The word that best describes Cory Joseph’s game would be “solid.” He doesn’t have any one signature skill, but he is steady in most areas including scoring inside the arc, passing, rebounding and limiting turnovers.

Joseph is not a great 3-point shooter, although he has shown improvement and did hit a respectable 36 percent from deep in 2016-17. He didn’t perform particularly well on the defensive end last year, but he’s been known as a stingy defender in the past.

The trade for Cory Joseph has to be considered a very good move because C.J. Miles was going to sign with Toronto anyway, so Joseph was essentially a freebie for the Pacers. Joseph should be a nice complement to the type of roster Indiana is now building.

Grade: B+

Damien Wilkins, SG/SF

Acquired: Via free agency (D-League)

Damien Wilkins arrives in Indiana with a strong NBA pedigree. He is the son of Gerald Wilkins, who played 13 years in the NBA (with a career scoring average of 13 points per game). Damien is also the nephew of former Atlanta Hawks superstar Dominique Wilkins.

Damien Wilkins hasn’t played in the NBA for over four years, but he’s had success playing overseas and in the D-League, most recently playing for the Greensboro Swarm in 2016-17 and leading the team in points scored.

The Pacers signed Wilkins to a non-guaranteed veteran minimum contract, so the risk for the team is essentially zero. Wilkins probably won’t do much for Indiana on the basketball floor, but there are other reasons he was signed.

The Pacers are moving toward a younger squad with untapped potential, and they could use a mature, veteran influence in training camp — enter Damien Wilkins.

Wilkins was brought in to be a good locker room presence and a reliable mentor for the team’s younger players; if he provides that in camp and then makes his exit, Wilkins will have done his job.

However, Wilkins does have some game left, even at the age of 37. If he is able to defy the odds and make the team as a 15th man, he could provide not only the aforementioned leadership, but also give the team a good “emergency” option if he is pressed into game action.

Interestingly, Wilkins may have impressed Kevin Pritchard during the recent NBA Leadership Development Program in which both were participants.

The Undefeated shares details from the program, including a “speed dating” session in which Wilkins had three minutes to sell himself to Pritchard and others; Indiana signed Wilkins a few days later.

Adding Damien Wilkins to the training camp roster certainly can’t be considered anything but a very minor move, but it’s a no-risk proposition that should add some experience and leadership when the team begins practicing in late September.

Grade: C+

Overall

Kevin Pritchard planned to build around Paul George, but then had to completely scrap that strategy and start over. Given the circumstances, the Pacers are coming out of the 2017 offseason in pretty good shape.

The team decided to collect a group of (mostly) younger players who they feel have talent and room for individual growth. They also targeted high-character players who should contribute to the positive culture the team is trying to build.

Indiana has overhauled the roster by bringing in nine new faces for 2017-18, and Pritchard gets good marks for obtaining players who fit the vision he and owner Herb Simon have for this franchise going forward.

The Pacers probably won’t be as good as they were in 2016-17; the team’s ceiling for the upcoming season appears to be as a bottom-seeded playoff team or one of the better teams in the draft lottery.

However, one could argue that this team may be more fun to watch with an increased emphasis on unselfish, team-oriented basketball.

In addition, Indiana has a long-term plan and for the first time in a while, it feels like the team is building toward something. The Paul George-led Pacers seemed to have peaked, so the club is now retooling and attempting to establish more balance than they’ve had in recent years.

Next: Atlanta Hawks - Complete 2017 offseason grades

This isn’t a team that will contend for a championship anytime soon, and they may not even be a contender for a playoff spot right away. However, this appears to have the makings of a team that Pacers fans can get behind — and that’s huge.

Grade: B