Ranking every Pacers first-round draft pick: From Reggie Miller to Scott Haskin

The 2022 NBA Draft is this week and this year’s event might be the most important in Indiana Pacers franchise history.

This upcoming draft marks the first time since 1989 that the Pacers will be drafting in the top 10 (not counting the pre-arranged trade for Jonathan Bender in 1999). After its worst season — 25-57 — since 1985, Indiana is seeking to build around its young promising point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, with a youthful co-star.

While the top of this draft features talent that could potentially headline an era for the Pacers, misses in the draft are inevitable. Indiana is no stranger to the phenomenon. It’s been fortunate to draft several All-Stars, but also has had its fair share of draft day disappointments.

The IndyStar has ranked all 39 of the first-round picks the Pacers have made in the NBA. (Players drafted by another team but traded to the Pacers before playing for another team is considered.) The primary criteria is their performance with the Pacers, though overall career can be taken into account:

1. Reggie Miller

Drafted: 11th, 1987

Eighteen years as a Pacer. Five All-Star selections. Historical playoff runs. Trolling Spike Lee. There might not be another player to do it in Indiana like Reggie again.

More: The Greatest Pacers of All Time

2. Paul George

Drafted: 10th, 2010

The ending was ugly, but Pacers fans watched as George transcended into one of the league’s most exciting forwards — and probably the most talented player to ever wear the uniform. 2013 was a hell of a time to be alive and a Pacers fan.

3. Rik Smits

Drafted: 2nd, 1988

The 7-foot-4 Smits was a force down low and on the perimeter for years, playing all of his 12 seasons in Indiana. The big man remained steady each season despite just one All-Star appearance and is underrated in the game’s history.

4. Danny Granger

Drafted: 17th, 2005

Peak Granger was one of the game’s best scorers before injuries derailed his career. Nevertheless, the Pacers were in good shape in Granger’s prime.

5. Dale Davis

Drafted: 13th, 1991

Davis averaged a near double-double (9.3 points, 9.0 rebounds) in his ten seasons as a Pacer and was named an All-Star during the final season of his first stint in Indiana.

6. Chuck Person

Drafted: 4th, 1986

The Rifleman came out the gate averaging 18.8 points to win Rookie of the Year and put up consistent numbers for the Pacers during his six seasons with the team.

7. Myles Turner

Drafted: 11th, 2015

Turner might not ever make an All-Star team, but he’s led the league in blocks twice — with this season was a likely third time if he hadn’t been sidelined for months. His consistency in what he’s offered in his seven seasons in Indiana allow him to rank so high.

8. Clark Kellogg

Drafted: 8th, 1982

While he’s long been known for his voice as a broadcaster, Kellogg was a force when he was drafted. The forward averaged 19.1 points in his four seasons before he suffered a knee injury that curtailed his career.

9. Roy Hibbert

Drafted: 17th, 2008

Perhaps no one can reminisce on their prime more than Hibbert. The man in the middle for the early 2010’s Pacers was one of the most reliable centers in the league during his short-lived stardom, making two All-Star teams.

10. Vern Fleming

Drafted: 18th, 1984

Drafted out of Georgia, Fleming delivered a solid career, much of which he spent as a respectable starting point guard for mediocre teams. Fleming played all but his last season in the NBA with the Pacers.

11. Herb Williams

Drafted: 14th, 1981

Williams enjoyed a 17-year career, averaging 14.9 points in his seven seasons and change in Indiana.

12. Jeff Foster

Drafted: 21st, 1999

In his 13 seasons as a Pacer, Foster carved out a respectable career as a valuable rebounder.

13. Al Harrington

Drafted: 25th, 1998

Signs of what Harrington would become were on full display during the back half of his six-season stint in Indiana, and he was an integral part of the early 2000s teams.

14. Wayman Tisdale

Drafted: 2nd, 1985

A college megastar, the Pacers took Tisdale with the second pick in the 1985 draft, missing out on Patrick Ewing. Tisdale averaged a solid 15.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in his 13-year career, serving as a strong contributor for the Pacers in his first three years.

15. Travis Best

Drafted: 23rd, 1995

Best turned in a solid career, providing good minutes as a backup point guard leading up to the Pacers’ NBA Finals run in 2000. He averaged 8.1 points and 3.8 assists in his seven seasons in Indiana.

16. Steve Stipanovich

Drafted: 2nd, 1983

A knee injury shortened his career, but Stipanovich averaged 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds for his career, playing all of his five seasons with the Pacers.

17. Chris Duarte

Drafted: 13th, 2021

It's too early to have a true sense of where Duarte will rank but he posted 13.1 points per game in his stellar rookie season; a bright spot in the worst season Indiana has had in a long time. Duarte has indicated that there’s room for him to have a solid career and move up this list significantly.

18. Jamaal Tinsley

Drafted: 27th, 2001

Tinsley started 365 of the 398 games he played in Indiana and averaged 10.4 points and seven assists during those seven seasons. He was the point guard for some pretty good Pacer teams.

19.  Austin Croshere

Drafted: 12th, 1997

The backup big man played nine seasons in Indiana, with the peak of his career coming during the 1999-00 season. Croshere averaged 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds that year, and provided some crucial minutes in the 2000 NBA Finals.

20.  Isaiah Jackson

Drafted: 22nd, 2021

Another player coming off his rookie season, Jackson demonstrated signs of hope for Indiana fans. Despite only playing 36 games after being called up from the G-League, Jackson came through as a high-flying lob threat and shot blocker, averaging 8.3 points and 4.1 rebounds.

21. Dudley Bradley

Drafted: 13th, 1979

Bradley played for seven teams in his nine seasons but his best two were the first two with the Pacers (8.2 points, 2.7 assists, 2.4 steals). He averaged 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists for his career.

22. Aaron Holiday

Drafted: 23rd, 2018

Younger brother of NBA guards Jrue and Justin Holiday, Aaron spent three seasons with Indiana before being traded to the Washington Wizards. He’s currently with the Phoenix Suns. Holiday averaged 7.7 points and 2.4 assists with the Pacers, peaking at 9.5 and 3.4 in 2019-20.

23.  Fred Jones

Drafted: 14th, 2002

Jones averaged 7.7 points in his four seasons in Indiana, peaking at 10.6 per game in 2004-05. He averaged 7.5 points in his nine NBA seasons before playing in Italy and China.

24.  Solomon Hill

Drafted: 23rd, 2013

Hill is currently a free agent, but notably aided the Atlanta Hawks as a rotational player during their run to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2021 playoffs. He’s averaged 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in his nine seasons.

25.  Tyler Hansbrough

Drafted: 13th, 2009

The Pacers passed up potential point guards Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson and Jeff Teague to take Hansbrough. But he was still a useful rotation player, averaging 8.9 points and 4.7 rebound in four seasons with the Pacers, albeit with a disappointing field goal percentage of .427.

26.  Brandon Rush

Drafted: 13th, 2008

Rush played three seasons with the Pacers, averaging 8.9 points. He went on to average 6.8 points in his nine seasons in the NBA.

27.  Goga Bitadze

Drafted: 18th, 2019

The big man from Georgia has improved each year during his three seasons, averaging seven points and 3.5 rebounds this past season.

28.  Jonathan Bender

Drafted: 5th, 1999

The 6-11 forward played seven of his eight active seasons in the NBA with the Pacers, averaging 5.5 points and 2.2 rebounds for his career. He missed three seasons due to a knee injury before playing his final campaign for the New York Knicks in 2009-10.

29. Terence Stansbury

Drafted: 15th, 1984

Stansbury played just three seasons in the NBA but was productive as a reserve in his two years with the Pacers, averaging 6.9 points and 2.3 assists.

30.  Malik Sealy

Drafted: 14th, 1992

Only playing two seasons in Indiana, averaging 6.1 points, Sealy was a solid role player elsewhere. He averaged more than 13 points twice in his career. Sealy died just weeks removed from the 2000 playoffs with Minnesota.

31. Rick Robey

Drafted: 3rd, 1978

Robey didn’t even play his entire rookie season with the Pacers before being traded to the Boston Celtics after 43 games to bring Billy Knight back to the Pacers. He helped the Celtics win the 1981 NBA Championship, and averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in his career.

32. Erick Dampier

Drafted: 10th, 1996

Dampier only spent his rookie season in Indiana, but forged a career by making his presence felt inside the paint, averaging 12 points and 12 rebounds at his best. Traded for Chris Mullen.

33. George McCloud

Drafted: 7th, 1989

McCloud spent four seasons with the Pacers before opting to play overseas for a year. The 6-6 wing averaged as much as 18.9 points during the 1995-96 season for the Dallas Mavericks but just 5.5 on 39.0% shooting with the Pacers.

More: Roasted by Larry. Fights with Reggie. Crushed by tragedy: George McCloud, more than a Pacers bust

34. Primoz Brezec

Drafted: 27th, 2000

Brezec only played 62 games across three seasons with the Pacers and averaged 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds. He averaged as many as 13 points during the 2004-05 season with Charlotte. He averaged 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds for his career.

35. Miles Plumlee

Drafted: 26th, 2012

Averaged .9 points and 1.6 rebounds in 14 games with the Pacers but carved out an NBA career, averaging 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in his seven seasons.

36.  David Harrison

Drafted: 29th, 2004

Harrison played all four of his NBA seasons with the Pacers, averaging five points and 2.9 rebounds.

37. Shawne Williams

Drafted: 17th, 2006

Williams averaged 5.6 points and three rebounds in his seven active seasons in the NBA but shot better than 42.7% once.

38.  TJ Leaf

Drafted: 18th, 2017

Leaf played three of his four seasons in Indiana, averaging 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds for his career. The Hawks took John Collins with the next pick.

39. Scott Haskin

Drafted: 14th, 1993

Got into just 27 games, averaged 2.0 points as a rookie and didn't play again.

and not playing after his rookie season.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Pacers: Ranking every first-round draft pick