The Indiana Pacers had an eventful NBA Draft last July after drafting Chris Duarte with the 13th overall pick and trading for 22nd overall pick Isaiah Jackson with the Washington Wizards. Duarte and Jackson are two players who could grow into solid members of the Pacers and potentially contribute right away as they try to strive in the Eastern Conference. 

Here’s why the Pacers did well during the NBA Draft based on the grades for who they selected. 

Chris Duarte: A+ 

Duarte was one of the top prospects entering this year’s NBA Draft. The Oregon standout was anticipated to be chosen in the early 20s but the fact that he was picked earlier is no shocker. The Dominican Republic-born guard can flat-out shoot. He may be the oldest player in the batch at 24 years old but he still averaged 17.1 points per game in his final year for Oregon, shooting 42.4 percent from three-point range. 

Aside from his solid shooting, he’s also a pretty good perimeter defender and was part of the All-Defensive Team in the Pac-12. Normally, the weakness of solid shooters is their defense, hence why some of them don’t see time on the floor. For Duarte, that might not be a problem. He’s going to amplify the Pacers’ offense under returning coach Rick Carlisle. Duarte will space the floor and be a pest on defense. 

Duarte’s fit with a solid offensive player like Domantas Sabonis could do wonders for the Pacers. During the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Duarte showed his offensive package and was the leader for the young squad. He can definitely be a reliable scorer for the Pacers this upcoming season. 

Isaiah Jackson: B+ 

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Another player that showed a lot of potential in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas was Jackson. His game is all about his speed, effort, bounce, and IQ on defense. His offensive package isn’t fully developed yet but that can be considered normal for a 22nd overall selection. At the moment, Jackson, who was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, can score on putbacks and inside the paint in general. Nevertheless, the Pacers can invest in Jackson’s offensive growth as they continue to build around their current roster. 

Jackson was considered one of the most athletic players in this year's class. He’s a 6'10” power forward who averaged 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks a game for Kentucky last season. He’ll be a great addition alongside Myles Turner and Goga Bitadze and can definitely learn from them as well. Turner is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and with Jackson’s current abilities, the rookie has huge potential to improve. 

Jackson’s minutes might be far less than Duarte this season since he isn’t fully polished yet. For one, his height might be a disadvantage for him, especially in the league where centers or power forwards need to be extra versatile to impose their will. But at least, the early signs of Jackson being a solid forward are there—he can block shots and defend on the perimeter, which are already huge wins for the Pacers.