Insider: Pacers' new style to dictate draft choice

CHICAGO — As a contingent of Indiana Pacers' front office personnel conduct interviews and watch scrimmages at the NBA draft combine, the team continues to proclaim its imminent offensive revolution.

Indiana currently holds the No. 11 pick in the upcoming draft and several prospects who spoke with the team came away with the clear idea that the Pacers desire faster, smaller lineups — a point first broached by President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird following the end of the regular season.

"They're changing their style of play," said former Texas big man Myles Turner, who was one of the nine players who interviewed with the Pacers on Wednesday. "They want to move to a faster — I don't want to say guard-oriented but they want to get smaller and they need guys who can shoot as well. So I know in the bigs department, they're looking for someone who can do those type of things."

Turner, projected as the 11th pick by DraftExpress, has the tools that could excite the Pacers, a team known for its defensive prowess under head coach Frank Vogel. A self-proclaimed "rim protector," the 6-11 Turner averaged 2.4 blocks per game to go along with 10.1 points and 6.5 rebounds in his one and only season with the Texas Longhorns. However — and hold your hats for this — Turner recalled that the topic of defense rarely came up during his meeting with the Pacers' group.

"They put a lot of their focus on the fact that they're trying to get smaller and faster," said Turner, who turned 19 in March.

This theme threaded through many of the Pacers' interviews with big men. After his chat with team officials, Frank Kaminsky, the consensus National Player of the Year from Wisconsin, walked away believing he could mesh well with the potential new-look Pacers.

"They kinda alluded to the fact that they want to get up and down more, get out and run a little bit more but at the same time under control," the 7-foot Kaminsky said. "That's kind of how it was for me my last year in Wisconsin, so I think it'll be a good fit."

Kaminsky, who averaged 18.8 points and 9.9 rebounds in his senior season, would like to fall within the Nos. 5 and 12 draft positions; still within the neighborhood for the Pacers to select their third straight player who stayed four years in college (Solomon Hill, Shayne Whittington).

The Pacers also interviewed other players including point guard D'Angelo Russell (Ohio State), shooting guard Devin Booker (Kentucky) and small forward Justin Anderson (Virginia), who said the team repeated its desire to use Paul George some at the four-spot.

"Which means there are more opportunities for another guard to come in at the two or three," Anderson said, "and shoot the ball when (George's) attacking and space the floor."

However, the team's interest in bigs like Turner and Kaminsky shows just how much Indiana has sold itself on pressing the reset button on its previous ways.

The two starting frontcourt players, David West and Roy Hibbert, still have yet to announce intentions to opt-in for the 2015-16 season with the Pacers. Nevertheless, Bird said on Thursday that neither West nor Hibbert's decisions would affect how the team drafts on June 25.

"No, not at all," Bird said, then quickly added his strong belief on the players' intentions.

"They're going to opt in," Bird asserted.

As team executives crowded inside the Quest Multipsport Complex to watch 5-on-5 games, Bird and several Pacers' representatives had a first-row seat. Though the team interviewed several potential first-round picks on the previous day, Bird spent his Thursday scooping out potential steals later in the draft.

"We talked to a lot of guys yesterday," Bird said. "We're sitting here watching the second-round players now."

Among the Pacers' group that traveled to Chicago included Vogel, general manager Kevin Pritchard, director of scouting Ryan Carr and scout Kevin Mackey.

First workout Monday

The Pacers have lined up their first predraft workout for Monday in Indianapolis.

The invited players who are scheduled to appear include four point/combo guards: Cameron Payne (Murray State), Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), Olivier Hanlan (Boston College) and Joseph Young (Oregon). Also, a pair of bigs in Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse) and Richaun Holmes (Bowling Green) will attend the workout.

Call Star reporter Candace Buckner at (317) 444-6121. Follow her on Twitter: @CandaceDBuckner.