Frank Kaminsky is one of the more polarizing 2015 NBA Draft prospects, and has a short list of teams that he is interested in playing for at the next level. One of those teams is the Indiana Pacers, who could very well be one of the teams in the most need for a big man. They currently hold the No. 11 overall pick in the draft, and he is expected to be available when they come on the clock.
Now that Kaminsky has made his interest in the Pacers clear, Indiana needs to share mutual interest and begin showing that they are interested in him as well.
Larry Bird has always had interest in drafting the exact type of player that Kaminsky has become. He stayed in college for all four of his collegiate years, and has extremely high basketball intelligence. Kaminsky also can step out and knock down perimeter shots, which is the type of forward that reminds Bird a little bit of himself.
Not only would he be a fit for the style that Bird likes to look for, he would also fit into the Pacers’ up-tempo offense that they are hoping to run in the 2015-16 season.
Another reason for the Pacers to show interest in Kaminsky is the fact that Roy Hibbert is very likely on his way out of town. He had yet another disappointing season in 2014-15, averaging 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Those numbers simply aren’t going to cut it for a player getting paid maximum money, and the Pacers desperately need to move on from him.
During his senior year with the Wisconsin Badgers, Kaminsky ended up averaging 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He shot an impressive 54.7 percent from the field overall and 41.6 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
One issues with replacing Hibbert would be the loss of rim protection. While he may not be a consistent player on either side of the court, he is more than capable of being one of the NBA’s best defensive big men when he plays to his full potential. Unfortunately, that has been becoming less often over the last couple seasons.
Indiana will have a healthy Paul George coming back next season, and also has an improved George Hill. They do not need their center to put up big offensive numbers, but they could use a consistent big man. Kaminsky would fit into Frank Vogel‘s system perfectly, and would help stretch the court with his ability to score from mid-range and the 3-point line.
At 7-foot-1 and 234 pounds, there is no question that Kaminsky is capable of stepping in and playing a big role immediately. There is also a chance that he could end up playing the power forward position in the NBA, which could be a need for Indiana as well.
David West is now 34 years old, and simply isn’t the dominant force that he once was. He averaged 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, and struggled with injuries throughout the majority of the year. Replacing him will be something that Indiana has to do within the next year or two.
No matter what position he ends up playing, the Pacers are a perfect fit for him in every single way. There are other options that Bird could look at with the No. 11 pick, but Kaminsky has the polished game and intelligence that Indiana needs.
Needless to say, the Pacers are going to be very intriguing to keep an eye on over the course of the next few weeks. They are looking to make some changes to their roster, and what better way to do that then drafting a potential starter in the draft? Kaminsky is working out for the Pacers on Sunday, which is a sign that these two parties could end up together following the draft.
Expect to hear plenty more about the Pacers’ draft plans as the offseason gets underway, and for Kaminsky to be very much in consideration for their pick.
Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com, and contributes across the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.