Taylor Hendricks shows the Indiana Pacers skills that they need in pre-draft workout
INDIANAPOLIS — Taylor Hendricks is exactly what NBA teams are looking for in 2023.
The Central Florida wing is shifty, can defend, and is a great three-point shooter. As a base, that is as solid as it gets for an NBA draft prospect. Even if he is just a three-and-D player, that is incredibly valuable in the NBA.
That's why many mock drafts have Hendricks going inside the top-10. Some even have him going to the Indiana Pacers with the seventh overall pick, which is fitting since Hendricks was in the St Vincent Center for a pre-draft workout with the Pacers on Wednesday.
The Pacers need fours, something that head coach Rick Carlisle noted before the end of the season. They need defense, too, and they know it. Every team could use shooting. Hendricks could be a great fit in Indiana, and his pre-draft audition was a chance to prove it.
"It was fun meeting everybody. It was a good experience for sure," the forward said of the workout. He said that he was trying to show Pacers executives that he can do more than just be a shooter. Hendricks hopes to be impactful on offense in multiple ways.
The 19-year old averaged 15.1 points per game in his lone NCAA season. He knocked down 47.8% of his shots and 39.4% of his threes. His efficiency is impressive, and he paired it with solid rebounding and defense.
Statistically, he's an excellent prospect. He carries himself well, too, and Hendricks is aware that his skills fit almost perfectly into the modern NBA. Lottery teams, especially ones that have shot creators, should give him serious consideration.
The Pacers, who have Tyrese Haliburton, are one of those teams. And the former Central Florida forward thinks he would fit well with the franchise.
"I feel like they have a really young core and a really good core. Something to build on for the next few years. I would love to be part of it," Hendricks said of the Pacers. Haliburton, an All-Star guard, was present watching the workout.
The forward was asked to display his defensive talent by defending Indiana assistant Jannero Pargo, a shifty guard. That's a skill that Hendricks wants to prove in the pre-draft process. If he can contain perimeter players, he could be a high-level defender.
That's why it was fitting that Hendricks mentioned Anthony Davis when asked who he wants to play like in the pros. Davis can guard anybody, and his defense can single handedly change games. Hendricks hopes to emulate that, especially Davis' interior defense.
The Fort Lauderdale native had his defense put to the test for the Knights, and that helped him grow. "I owe it all to my coaches at UCF. They put me into a lot of situations to be able to guard different types of positions, and I feel like that's helped me overall with my development," he said.
That coaching staff is why he chose Central Florida in the first place. He smiled when discussing his school. They helped Hendricks grow and set him up for success. Now, he could be a top-10 pick.
The forward realized the NBA was possible about halfway through his NCAA campaign. That's when the buzz started, and his agent noted the pros could be a possibility. Now, it's going to be a reality, and he's going to make a team with a top pick happy.
Perhaps that is the Pacers, who have playoff aspirations next season. Perhaps it is one of the other lottery teams that have needs on the wing. Either way, the fact that many teams could use Hendricks is why he will likely be selected near the top of the draft.
He still has room to grow. He wants to improve his ball handling and shot creation, and his finishing at the rim must get better. Like almost every prospect, Hendricks will need to develop to be more than a role player in the NBA.
But his floor projects to be high as a three-and-D prospect, and Indiana could use a player like that. Perhaps Taylor Hendricks' trip to Indianapolis will be the first of many.
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