5 Draft Prospects Indiana Pacers Should Keep Their Eye on This Season

There are several 2015 NBA draft prospects the Indiana Pacers should keep their eye on.

Looking back at Indy's draft history over the past decade, only a handful (Danny Granger, Lance Stephenson, Paul George and Solomon Hill) have made a significant impact. 

It's also crucial to point out that several of the Pacers' draftees during that span are now playing better with other teams (Shawne Williams, Jerryd Bayless, Kawhi Leonard and Miles Plumlee). It's about time that Indy drafts a player who will make a huge, long-term impact a la PG-13 or Reggie Miller.

Or maybe even a Rik Smits, Dale Davis, Antonio Davis or Al Harrington for that matter.

Yes, Indiana has PG-13 to build around, but the pieces around him clearly need tinkering. George Hill is not the long-term solution at point guard. David West and Luis Scola are in the twilight of their NBA careers. Damjan Rudez can't play a lick of defense (0.2 steals per game, 0.2 blocks per game). 

The Indiana Pacers' 15-28 mark (.349) is the fourth worst in the Eastern Conference as of Jan. 20. This clearly puts them in a solid position to lock up one of the top 10 picks in June's draft.

If the trend of losing to lower-tier teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves continues, the Pacers could even find themselves competing for one of the top five draft spots.

Clearly, this is not the situation fans want the team to be in. However, if that is Indy's fate this season, then the team should just make the most out of the cards it has been dealt.

Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Guangdong Southern Tigers (Chinese Basketball Association)

Emmanuel Mudiay could be the answer the Indiana Pacers desperately need at the point guard spot.

George Hill is really a 2-guard in a point guard's body. In other words, he's a combo guard. The Pacers have struggled in the assists department ever since he took over the starting chores from Darren Collison in 2012. This season has been no exception, as Indy is just 21st overall (20.7 APG) in that statistical area. 

The Pacers have also been struggling with their perimeter defense, as attested by back-to-back losses last week when Mo Williams (52 points) and Brandon Jennings (37 points) lit them up pretty badly. Pacers.com's Mark Montieth weighed in on the matter in his Jan. 17 article:

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Jennings was only slightly more sane, hitting four three-pointers in a 19-point third period regardless of how well he defended. Pacers coach Frank Vogel had referred to him as 'Mo Williams Jennings' in the pre-game scouting report as a way of reminding his players how dangerous Jennings can be, but it hardly mattered.

With Hill out, the Pacers don't have a point guard healthy enough, quick enough or tall enough to snuff out blazing fires. 

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Mudiay could just be that fireman Indy is looking for. 

NBADraft.net gave him an 8 on a scale of one to 10 for his defense and a 98 overall in its 2015 NBA draft scouting report. Aside from his above-average skills on defense, he has great athletic abilities and a knack for getting his teammates involved. 

If the Pacers find themselves in the fortunate position of having Emmanuel Mudiay fall in their lap like Danny Granger did a decade ago, they should snag him without hesitation. 

Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville Cardinals

Montrezl Harrell could very well be the second coming of Dale Davis. 

Check out the NBADraft.net's scouting report on the big fella:

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Long, athletic prospect with great leaping abilities...Huge wingspan (7'4") helps make him a very disruptive defensive presence. Gets his share of blocks and steals...Above-the-rim athlete who uses his tremendous vertical and explosiveness to get numerous 'garbage' buckets off put-backs and easy dunks...

High-motor big man who is constantly battling for rebounds and bringing energy and relentlessness to the court...Surprisingly decent mid-range jumper...Runs the floor very well...Very efficient player.

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On the downside, he still needs to develop his post game and free-throw shooting (51 percent), per NBADraft.net. These are strikingly similar to Davis' attributes (he was a career 56 percent free-throw shooter). 

Harrell will help the Pacers' depth at power forward should either David West or Luis Scola (or even both) not be around anymore next season. West has a $15.6 million player option for 2015-16, while Scola's contract will expire by the end of this season.

With Harrell's relentlessness on both ends of the court, he will be a very good fit for the Pacers' smashmouth style of basketball.

Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Senior Notre Dame Fighting Irish point guard Jerian Grant is poised to break into the NBA. 

Grant is the Irish's leading scorer at 16.7 PPG through Jan. 19. NBADraft.net calls him "a true PG" and compares him to former Portland Trail Blazers guard Terry Porter. 

Here are other phrases NBAdraft.net uses to describe this talented guard prospect:

• "Good composure"
• "Good decision-maker and passer"
• "Very good shooter"
• "Good finisher"
• "Clutch performer"

The Chicago Tribune's Chris Hine raves about Grant's playmaking skills in his Dec. 7, 2014 update:

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An overlooked part of Grant's game has been his ability to set up teammates for good shots and his knack for straddling the line between scorer and distributor. That ability has enabled the Irish to build one of the most efficient offenses in the country, one ranking fifth in that category according to Kenpom.com. 

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Grant's athletic prowess comes as no surprise—he's the son of former Washington Bullets power forward Harvey Grant and the nephew of former Chicago Bulls power forward Horace Grant, per Notre Dame's official athletics website. 

Grant is a senior whose seasoning and experience will serve him well in the pros. Should Pacers president Larry Bird decide to stick with George Hill next season, Grant will look good in a Pacers point guard rotation that also features the hard-working Donald Sloan.

Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C, Kentucky Wildcats

What if Pacers center Roy Hibbert exercises his $15.5 million player option for 2015-16 to sign with another team?

Indy would be wise to size up Kentucky Wildcats center Karl-Anthony Towns. 

Check out what CSNPhilly.com's Sean Kane has to say about the Kentucky big man:

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He's averaging just 8.5 points and 6.7 rebounds on the season, but to be fair he's playing only 19.8 minutes per game in top-ranked Kentucky's star-studded rotation. 

Towns and (Jahlil) Okafor were the two top prospects to enter the college game this season. Towns isn't as polished as Okafor on the offensive end, but he's more explosive and every bit as effective as a shot blocker, as evidenced by his 2.3 blocks per game. Towns turned 19 earlier this season and his game should only improve on both ends of the floor. 

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Towns' explosiveness on the defensive end should bode well for Indy's smashmouth style of play. If Hibbert is still around next season and the Pacers somehow get a shot at Towns, they will have a Twin Tower combination that should be a huge nightmare for the opposition. 

Hibbert has an array of post moves, so he can also serve as a mentor to Towns to help polish his offense. 

Jahlil Okafor remains the best center on the 2015 NBA draft board. It may not be realistic to snag him with the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers jostling for the first overall pick. 

Karl-Anthony Towns wouldn't be a bad consolation prize at all. 

D'Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State Buckeyes

D'Angelo Russell would look good in an Indiana Pacers uniform. 

Many pro draft scouts see Russell as a promising combo guard prospect. NBADraft.net compares the lefty freshman guard to Brandon Roy or Manu Ginobili and lists many positive attributes:

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Precocious combo guard with tremendous ball skills...Intriguing long-term prospect considering his package of attributes...Smart and smooth guard who never seems to get rattled or rushed into making mistakes...Shows great poise and maturity for a freshman. Makes everything look easy...

Great imagination and creativity. His vision and passing ability are very intriguing. Excellent decision maker and appears to have the ability to develop into a point guard for the next level.

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Russell—who is averaging 18.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists through the Buckeyes' first 19 games, per CSNPhilly.com—is not the pure playmaker the Pacers desperately need (not yet anyway), but his upside and promise are just too good to pass up. 

NBADraft.net gives him a 9 on a scale of one to 10 in terms of his passing skills, so his ability to develop into a better playmaker is there. As seen in the above video, he can really stroke it from the outside. He's a more versatile and bigger version of Travis Best who can give the Pacers a positive return on their long-term investment. 

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are current as of Jan. 20 and are courtesy of ESPN.com.