Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 at 8:00 am  |  24 responses

SLAMonline Mock Draft: Ekpe Udoh, No. 10

And now on the clock, the most irrelevant franchise in the NBA.

by Jonathan Santiago / @ITSjonsantiago

Mediocrity.

It’s what the Indiana Pacers have managed to achieve lately.  They haven’t been good enough to make the Playoffs nor have they been bad enough to land a top three pick.

Winning teams and even losing teams (case-and-point: the 2010 New Jersey Nets) get pub.

But when you’re mediocre, you’re not even relevant.

And it’s unfortunate for the Pacers’ star player, Danny Granger, who (yes it’s an overused statement, but I’m going to say it anyways) is one of the NBA’s best kept secrets.

For the most part, the direction of the franchise has seemed to follow a downward trajectory since the infamous Malice in the Palace debacle. But more recently, they’ve leveled off into an average, pedestrian state Hoosier fans have come to know as Pacers basketball.

What make matters even worst for the Pacers are the many holes they have. On paper, this team looks like it should’ve finished with a record worse than the Wizards, Sixers, Nets and Timberwolves, all squads selecting in the top four of this year’s draft. Outside of Granger at small forward, what positions do they have secure?

None.

Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy are both in the final years of their contracts, which mean their long-term statuses are up in the air. Dahntay Jones is signed to a multi-year deal, but he’s obviously not a go-to-guy. Roy Hibbert, despite losing weight and showing improvement in ‘08-09, still has a ways to go. Their ’09 draft choice, Tyler Hansbrough played in only 29 games due to a season mired in injuries. And to cap things off, Earl Watson beat out TJ Ford to start at point guard for them — ’nuff said about that position.

So where do the Pacers go?

They could make the sentimental pick with Gordon Hayward, the hometown hero who was this close to making the greatest shot in basketball history. Or they could select Nevada’s Luke Babbitt, another sophomore who best-case scenario is the second-coming of Chris Mullin or worst-case, Adam Morrison. Both would actually fit Head Coach Jim O’Brien’s up-tempo, three-point shooting offense. And selecting either one would also help the Pacers in their on-going team makeover that would make even Michael Jackson jealous.

But not too many folks are high on Hayward’s strengths translating to the NBA. And though Babbitt has no trouble getting his shot up, his defensive ability leaves much to be desired. Besides, rumor has it that Larry Legend is looking to address the power forward and point guard positions, which means a no to both Hayward and Babbitt.

The one is a tougher position to plug. Outside of John Wall, the point guard waters are murky in the 2010 draft, which is a far cry from last season’s pool. Avery Bradley might be the best potential point guard on the board wEkpe Udohhen the Pacers select tenth. Yes, there are comparisons to Russell Westbrook, but let’s not get carried away. At least Westbrook had some semblance of unselfishness at UCLA unlike Bradley, who is “prone to showing tunnel vision” according to Draft Express’ Assistant Director of Scouting Joseph Treutlein.

That leaves the four, which brings us to the selection.

With the 10th pick in the 2010 SLAMonline Mock Draft the Indiana Pacers select…

Ekpe Udoh from Baylor University.

Patrick Patterson and Hassan Whiteside were also both considered. Patterson was passed on due to the presence of Hansbrough, who essentially is the same type of role-playing power forward. And though Whiteside’s freakish physical assets seemed tempting, his maturity level raised red flags.

Udoh might be the best player available at this point of the SLAMonline Mock Draft. But he also fits the bill for what the Pacers might be looking for later this month. They could use a big man who possesses versatility to play both power forward and center, since their long-term solutions, Hansbrough and Hibbert, aren’t flexible enough to play both positions. Defensively, Udoh would also bring another shot-blocking presence to go alongside Granger. Offensively, he possesses enough low-post skills and a mid-range game to potentially provide the Pacers with a scoring threat. But most importantly, his passing ability to find cutters and shooters could prove highly valuable in the Pacers’ fast-pace offense.

2010 SLAMonline Mock Draft
Pick Team Player Pick Team Player
1 Washington John Wall 16 Minnesota
2 Philadelphia Evan Turner 17 Chicago
3 New Jersey Derrick Favors 18 Miami
4 Minnesota DeMarcus Cousins 19 Boston
5 Sacramento Greg Monroe 20 San Antonio
6 Golden State Wesley Johnson 21 OKC
7 Detroit Ed Davis 22 Portland
8 L.A. Clippers Al-Farouq Aminu 23 Minnesota
9 Utah Cole Aldrich 24 Atlanta
10 Indiana Ekpe Udoh 25 Memphis
11 New Orleans 26 OKC
12 Memphis 27 New Jersey
13 Toronto 28 Memphis
14 Houston 29 Orlando
15 Milwaukee 30 Washington
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  • French Toast Posted: Jun.2 at 8:44 am
    What…? Come on he is a late first rounder at best !
    10th overall ? I don’t get it! Avery BRadley would have been great fit here.

  • wayno Posted: Jun.2 at 9:16 am
    Ekpe Udoh > Ed Davis IMO

  • MooButter Posted: Jun.2 at 10:29 am
    @French Toast: You’re the only one with Ekpe as a late first rounder. I work at Baylor and watched this kid play all year. He single handedly turned an offense only minded Baylor team barely cracking the NCAA tourney to an elite eight team. The guy had multiple triple doubles this year with points, boards, and blocks. He’s a huge defensive presence who can hit out to 18 feet and has decent handles for a 6-10 forward/center. All that and, the article is exactly right. He’s a great passer. He’s a little older so he’s more mature but still has room to grow offensively. One more thing. Udoh average 2.7 assists playing the Center position. Bradley average 2.1 as a point guard. Avery should still be in college, not the draft. Don’t hate just because you’re uninformed.

  • niQ Posted: Jun.2 at 10:48 am
    I’m actually more excited to see Ekpe Udoh play than Cousins and Patterson. No lie. This guy can ball. I was hoping the Raptors could have a chance at him. And in regards to French Toast, actually nevermind, MooButter already laid it out. And the article that mentioned “prone to showing tunnel vision” just makes him that much less attractive as a point guard.

  • IndyB Posted: Jun.2 at 11:57 am
    Udoh would be a nice fit next to Hibbert, his lateral quickness would really help defending the screen and roll.(Pacers got absolutley murdered on that play.)

  • k Posted: Jun.2 at 1:49 pm
    You. Must. Be. Joking. Why are we still talking about FITTING INTO O’BRIEN’S SYSTEM? It’s bad enough that he got an extension and still has a job; giving a nanosecond of thought while making a roster-related decision to a player’s compatibility with Jim O’Brien or his system should be enough ON ITS OWN to get an executive fired.

  • SLAM ONLINE | » Hot Topics Posted: Jun.2 at 2:31 pm
    [...] Mock Draft: Ekpe Udoh, No. 10 [...]

  • Enigmatic Posted: Jun.2 at 2:50 pm
    LOL, if Udoh falls to late in the first round, he’s going to make some playoff team (or the Nets, Wizards, Wolves or Grizzlies, who all have picks late in the 23-30 range) very happy. He probably won’t be an all-star, but dude is a beast defensively. Good passer for his size too.

  • Ryne Nelson Posted: Jun.2 at 2:58 pm
    If he falls out of the Lottery, I’d be very surprised. Would be a great front line with Hibbert.

  • Atrain Posted: Jun.2 at 5:05 pm
    I love Udoh, hope he falls to 15 for the Bucks. Paired with Bogut/Mbah Moute Im not sure how opposing teams score in the paint

  • Tarzan Cooper Posted: Jun.2 at 5:06 pm
    Udoh is an excellent shot blocker, and all around player, he will do great things in the l. The fact that larry and jim didnt say they had a need at 2 speaks volumes about brandon rush. He is a very nice player with many capabilities. And earl watson sending tj to the bench is funny. Earl and brandon backcourt! KC STANDUP!

  • Moose Posted: Jun.2 at 5:46 pm
    When will Gordon Hayward go? 20-30?

  • onlyclipsfanonslam Posted: Jun.2 at 7:53 pm
    probably won’t make an all-star team, but can easily be a role player and end up playing 10-15 years in the league. Q: Which team needs a backup big that can block shots, grab boards, and hit an open jumper? A: Every team in the NBA

  • Jahi Posted: Jun.2 at 8:16 pm
    Patrick Patterson is the sleeper in this draft. I see him dropping, and turning into a more athletic verison of Dejaun Blair. Udoh could be a decent rebounder and defensive presence but his offensive awareness leaves plenty to the imagination. Another sleeper player to watch out for is Lance Stephenson, he has an NBA type of offensive aggressiveness and will shine in the league too. I’m waiting for the Minnesota Timberwolves to pass on Cousins and Monroe, and select Avery Bradley.

  • Groves@UWA Posted: Jun.2 at 11:47 pm
    just wondering what peoples thoughts are on donatas motijunas… i had him at my 10th pick. does anyone see him going between 15 and 20?

  • JoeMaMa Posted: Jun.3 at 3:43 am
    MooButter just showed us what it’s like to spank someone with the truth.

  • Goat Posted: Jun.3 at 10:33 am
    Moo Butter should have written this article. Personally, in every one of these write-ups I would like to learn players age, measurements (height, weight, wingspan), and numbers from last season. This article offers none of this….mainly just talks about how bad the Pacers are. We all already knew that.

  • Budda88 Posted: Jun.3 at 7:01 pm
    Im glad up until this point there has been no serious mention of Whiteside as an early draft contender, people talk about his upside, but a quick look at draft history shows that big men selected early based almost solely on defensive prowess have tended to be busts. Kwame Brown, Desagna Diop, Robert Swift, Shawn Bradley and the verdict is still out on last years number two pick Hasheem Thabeet (although from what we saw in his limited games/game time this season, he also appears to be a bust). Teams need to learn that feeling comfortable on offense (not necessarily playing well, but feeling like you can) is a natural court skill, and if a player isnt comfortable offensively no matter what his “up side” is he wont cut it in the NBA. Big guys with defensive skills need to be able to bang it down low or they arent worth the draft pick.

  • Friday Bolts – 6.4.10 | Daily Thunder.com Posted: Jun.4 at 10:31 am
    [...] More comparisons of Avery Bradley to Russell Westbrook: “Outside of John Wall, the point guard waters are murky in the 2010 draft, which is a far cry from last season’s pool. Avery Bradley might be the best potential point guard on the board when the Pacers select tenth. Yes, there are comparisons to Russell Westbrook, but let’s not get carried away. At least Westbrook had some semblance of unselfishness at UCLA unlike Bradley, who is “prone to showing tunnel vision” according to Draft Express’ Assistant Director of Scouting Joseph Treutlein.” [...]

  • WolfNast Posted: Jun.6 at 8:38 am
    I played middle school ball with this guy. Got his autograph in my yearbook ;)

  • SLAM ONLINE | » SLAMonline Mock Draft: Paul George, No. 15 Posted: Jun.7 at 9:21 am
    [...] Ekpe Udoh [...]

  • SLAM ONLINE | » SLAMonline Mock Draft: Avery Bradley, No. 18 Posted: Jun.10 at 8:43 am
    [...] Ekpe Udoh [...]

  • Chendaddy Posted: Jun.11 at 1:39 pm
    I like the pick, but I would’ve gone with Bradley. His game is built for the pros, not college, and Indiana needs something much more than that Watson-Ford combo.

  • Chendaddy Posted: Jun.11 at 1:40 pm
    Even Eric Bledsoe! We talking about Earl Watson and TJ Ford here!

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