Derran Cobb is a fourth-year journalism major and writes for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
The NBA draft was this week and for the first time ever, it was held on two consecutive dates. The Indiana Pacers didn’t have any picks on day one after sending both picks to Toronto in exchange for Pascal Siakam.
However, they retained two picks in the second round (49, 50), acquired the 36th pick from Philadelphia and used them to bolster a roster that has its eyes set on title contention. This draft’s goals were to get experienced players who fit into the system well.
Here are the 2024 Pacers draft picks and my thoughts.
Johnny Furphy - C+
In a draft day pick swap, Indiana sent their pick to San Antonio in order to move up one and take Furphy at No. 35. The Kansas guard could prove to be a good pick for the Pacers, adding shooting and wing defense.
Playing in 33 games and starting 19 of them, he averaged 9 points shooting 46 percent from the field. While his three-point shooting could improve (35 percent), he showed flashes of being a knock down shooter.
He’s only 19, and with raw talent, the Pacers are hoping to develop him into an important player down the road.
“We have a lot of good young players already on the roster that have a lot of established roles already, so we feel we're willing to be a little more patient with a young player like Johnny.” Pacers General Manager Chad Buchanan said. “He's a guy who's got a lot of room to grow [in] both his body, physically and his game. He's obviously very young in age, but we liked a lot of things about him that we felt aligned with who we are as an organization.”
The Big 12 All-Freshman team selection will most likely spend his season with the Mad Ants of the G-league, but I think with the right development Furphy could work well in Indiana.
Tristen Newton - B-
With the No. 49 pick, the Pacers selected Tristen Newton. The Uconn guard adds wing depth while bringing experience, coming off his second consecutive national title.
The reigning Final Four Most Outstanding Player is a good playmaker and solid defender, making him a good two-way wing for Indiana. Averaging 15.1 points on 42 percent shooting from the field, Newton earned an All-American nod last season.
“Coach Carlisle values basketball, and I think Tristan has a very good feel [for the game].” Buchanan said. “He knows how to read each player on the floor, which I think coach really values. I think he's got a calmness about him, like I mentioned before, very similar to [Andrew Nembhard]. They're very calm on the ball. They never get sped up.”
I think Newton has potential to be a steal of this draft, much like the Pacers second round pick in 2022, Andrew Nembhard. He was one of the best all-around players in the draft, averaging 6.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.
Enrique Freeman - B+
From a walk-on to the No. 50 NBA draft pick, the reigning Mid-American Conference (MAC) player of the year fulfills a roster need for the Pacers. A defensive-minded, rebounding forward to play behind Siakam.
Freeman made the All-MAC Defensive team four times, won the MAC Defensive player of the year trophy in 2022, and was MAC Player of the Year in 2024 after leading Akron to win the conference tournament on the way to a second NCAA Tournament berth in three years.
“He's a self made player. A lot of his qualities are matched up with who we are, and players in the past [that] have had his qualities have had success with us, and he's obviously a terrific rebounder.” Buchanan said. “He's got great length, plays with an unbelievable motor and tenacity and just goes and gets the ball.”
As a 6’7” 205 pound forward, Freeman can guard multiple positions well, is a great rebounder (12.9 in 2023-24) and has no trouble scoring the ball (18.6 points per game, 58 percent). This was a great pickup for Indiana.
Although all three picks were in the second round this season, I think the Pacers had a solid draft, adding depth to their wing positions while filling a roster need in Enrique Freeman.
Fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals run, this is an organization and roster that has seemingly been set with their direction and went into this draft hoping to get deeper. In what is just the beginning of an important offseason for Indiana, the team got better.
Contact Derran Cobb with comments at derran.cobb@bsu.edu or on Twitter @Derran_cobb.
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