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The Pacers are reportedly interested in acquiring restricted free agent Deandre Ayton, and it would be a brilliant use of their cap space.
The 23-year-old Ayton would be an ideal fit alongside Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, who is 22 years old. When surveying the league for a rim runner who can maximize Haliburton’s talents as a playmaker, you would be hard-pressed to find one with a better resumé than Ayton.
The former No. 1 overall pick averaged a league-best 4.6 points per game when rolling to the basket in pick and roll sets, per Synergy. When including the regular season and the playoffs, in fact, the big man was the only player who scored at least 300 points on these possessions.
After his midseason trade to the Pacers, meanwhile, ball screens in which Haliburton passed to a teammate rolling into the post resulted in 6.1 points per game. That is the same amount as Luka Doncic. The only players whose passes yielded more scoring were James Harden, Chris Paul, and Trae Young.
Opponents would have a nightmare defending a high pick and roll from Haliburton and Ayton. On one hand, you would have to stay attached to Ayton, who personally scored more points per game on pick and rolls from the top of the key than every player in the league except for Joel Embiid.
But it is hard to defend Haliburton when he is operating the high screen and roll as a scorer, too. Among the 127 players who recorded at least 60 such possessions between the regular season and the postseason, no one was more efficient than Haliburton. Defenders would have to pick their poison because neither scenario is ideal.
Harden (32 years old) and Embiid (28) make for a fantastic PnR threat in Philadelphia. The Bulls have something interesting with Zach LaVine (27) and Nikola Vucevic (31). It is hard to argue with what Jamal Murray (25) and Nikola Jokic (27) bring to the table.
If the Pacers are able to land Ayton, however, I’m going with Indiana’s duo. It’s hard to imagine a more productive pick-and-roll tandem who would both be 24 years old or younger next season.
The Tip-Off
If you haven’t been paying attention to NBA 2K23 Summer League, one player you have missed is Jabari Walker — son of former NBA champion Samaki Walker.
I wrote about what he has brought to the Trail Blazers thus far in Las Vegas:
“This defensive tenacity is exactly what you need alongside Damian Lillard, especially if Walker can continue to show that he can defend on the perimeter at the professional level.
It’s worth noting that the advanced stats love Walker, too. Win Shares (WS), Player Efficiency Rating (PER), and Floor Impact Counter (FIC) are three of the only catch-all metrics that are publicly tracked for Summer League.
Although these stats are a bit flawed, for context: Walker leads all drafted players in Win Shares (0.7) and PER (33.0) and he trails only first-round pick Tari Eason in FIC (40.1) thus far.
It is hard to make a sweeping claim about raw plus-minus in an exhibition game, but in Las Vegas, the Blazers tend to perform better when Walker is on the floor relative to when he is not.”
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Portland coach Chauncey Billups, who like Walker also attended the University of Colorado, finds some playing time for the rookie next season.
One To Watch
(All odds via Tipico.)
Nets (-1.5, -118) vs. Grizzlies (-107), O/U 172.5, 6:30 PM ET
The last time that he was on the floor, Brooklyn guard Cam Thomas was shown rolling his eyes in this viral video when asked about passing the ball more often. I’m curious how he responds in his next game.
But I’m also going to watch the Summer League Grizzlies whenever they are on, especially if there is a chance we can see the delightful pairing of David Roddy and Kenneth Lofton Jr. in the thicc-and-roll.
Shootaround
— Richard Jefferson blew an easy call in his ref debut and the NBA Summer League crowd went nuts
— JJ Redick thinks he is one of the 3 most hated college basketball players ever: ‘It’s all Duke guys’
— Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin caught up with 19-year-old guard Jaden Springer
— HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto discusses Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving trade talk; Deandre Ayton free agency
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