2016 NBA Mock Draft: Brown Rises to Top-5, Murray Falls Out

21 of 31

. PG. Notre Dame. Demetrius Jackson. 20. player. 100

Feb 8, 2016; Greenville, SC, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Demetrius Jackson (11) protects the ball from Clemson Tigers guard Avry Holmes (12) in the first half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The Irish won 89-83. Mandatory Credit: Dawson Powers-USA TODAY Sports /

The Indiana Pacers had a successful 2015-16 season. The team won 45 games, more than what many expected, and pushed the Toronto Raptors to seven games during the first round of the playoffs. Paul George returned back to form, and bounced back to score 41 points in the All-Star game and made the All-NBA Third Team. 20-year-old rookie Myles Turner showed the NBA world both his potential and productivity after he made the All-Rookie Second Team.

Nate McMillan is expected to implement Bird’s vision of the Pacers as a small ball team, and the team needs help at the backup point guard position.

Jackson showed well at the NBA combine. He will be the second straight Notre Dame guard to go in the first round (Jerian Grant 2015).

He is likely to be the best point guard available when the Pacers are on the clock, and they could go in a different direction with Brice Johnson or Ben Bentil here as well.

The Notre Dame product has the ability to pick apart the opposing defense in the pick-and-roll while being a respectable shooter (he shot better than 41 percent form 3-point range in his freshman and sophomore seasons). He should become an NBA starter down the road, and he could be a successor to George Hill as he becomes a free agent after next season. But he’ll begin his career as a back-up point guard, which is something the Pacers could use for the time being.

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