Victor Oladipo no longer is a center piece of uncertainty after he spoke with The Athletic about remaining a Pacer.
On Wednesday night, the Indiana Pacers made one of the best picks in a long time given their subpar decision making in previous NBA Drafts.
Cassius Stanley was taken in the second round as the No. 54th by the Pacers. Stanley brings a high-level offense with his intensity and versatility. His dunking is unmatched and the way he scores maintaining balance in the air is what the Pacers lacked last season.
Stanley broke Zion Williamson’s vertical record last season at Duke recording 46 inches or better. As a 6’6” shooting guard, Stanley averaged 12.6 points per game shooting 47% from the field.
If a prospect drenched with the knowledge from coach K out of Duke is taken for granted, the Pacers will be back to the drawing board. His potential is brewing and in a system like Indiana, he’ll develop his consistency under head coach Nate Brjorkgren.
If Nate McMillian was still the head coach, there’s no doubt Stanley would ride the bench.
Health determines the success of a team and after the Pacers were struck with numerous injuries last season, Stanley could replace one player if they’re performance decrease.
Indiana is the perfect place to mold Stanley since the team has a culture predicated on physicality. Although he’s a liability on defense struggling to maintain his stance, Stanley’s style of play on offense could resemble Zach Lavine if he improves on his shot selection.
Like Lavine earlier in his Minnesota days, Stanley is a highlight reel. His attitude and character fits what Indiana needs as a backup guard.
Grade: B
Click on the next page for Stanley’s draft tape video.