Best Draft Pick In Indiana Pacers History

When it comes to the Indiana Pacers' best draft pick, there are really only two players who stand out from all of the others. Paul George, selected tenth overall in 2010 out of Fresno State, won Most Improved Player in 2013, made three All-NBA teams and four All-Star teams (during his time with the Pacers), and led Indiana to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances. Unfortunately, a devastating leg injury in a Team USA scrimmage derailed what had been one of the most promising careers in the league. He eventually forced a trade to Oklahoma City in 2017, leaving Indiana before what could have been a legendary career. 

The only player who beats out George is Reggie Miller, arguably the greatest Indiana Pacer of all time. When the Pacers selected Miller with the eleventh overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft from UCLA, the Indiana crowd immediately made their displeasure known. They had wanted Steve Alford, the hometown hero from New Castle, Indiana. Let it be known that Alford averaged 4.4 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 1 assist over four years in 169 games. Pacers fans still owe former team President Donnie Walsh a big apology. 

Miller grew up in Riverside in a family of athletes (you may have heard about his sister Cheryl, one of the greatest female basketball players of all time). After a slow start to his college career at UCLA, Miller eventually finished his four years with the Bruins, averaging 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and became the second all-time leading scorer in school history, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Walsh had a decent idea of who he was selecting. 

Finishing 41-41 and a first-round playoff loss the year prior, the Pacers were coming off their first winning season in six years. Coming off the bench behind John Long, Miller started just one game in his rookie year, but averaged 22 minutes, 10 points, and was the team’s third-best three-point shooter. Over the next seventeen seasons, Miller only came off the bench for four games, all in his second season. 

While Miller was never the biggest name in the league, he certainly carried himself like one and had his fill of superstar moments. None more evident than against the New York Knicks. who became his personal stage throughout the 1990s. NBA fans will remember Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, when the Pacers trailed by twelve entering the fourth quarter, Miller erupted for 25 of his 39 points in the final period at Madison Square Garden, delivering a 93-86 victory and sending the infamous choke gesture in the direction of Knicks superfan Spike Lee. New York recovered to win the series in seven, but Miller captured the attention of the basketball world.  

A year later, Miller put together what remains one of the most iconic moments in NBA playoff history. Trailing 105-99 with just 18.7 seconds remaining in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Miller caught an inbound pass, nailed a three-pointer, stole the inbound pass, drained another three, and then calmly sank two free throws. In just 8.9 seconds, Miller recorded eight points to give Indiana a 107-105 victory.  The Pacers would go on to gain their revenge in another epic seven-game war. 

The Pacers would reach the NBA Finals in 2000, the first and only trip of Miller’s career. Unfortunately, they were facing an LA Lakers juggernaut featuring Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Miller did his part, averaging 24.3 points, but the Pacers would wind up losing in six games. Despite the loss, Miller had made the most of his time in the spotlight, including a 35-point effort in Game 4. 

For eighteen seasons, fans fell in love with Miller, adopting him as one of their own. By the end of his career, Miller was one of only seven players in league history to spend an entire career of that length with a single franchise. Five All-Star appearances, three All-NBA honors, a spot on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, and a Hall of Fame induction in 2012. He retired as the all-time NBA leader in three-pointers made, a record later broken by Ray Allen and then Steph Curry.

Imagine what would have happened if Walsh had listened to the fans instead of going with his gut?