Pacers Sign Miles Plumlee | 8 Points, 9 Seconds

Pacers Sign Miles Plumlee

by on July 5, 2012 at 11:48 am

This is basically just bookkeeping as the Pacers have announced they have signed their first-round pick (#26 overall), center Miles Plumlee of Duke.

We don’t technically know the terms, but all first-round picks get the first two years of guaranteed salary with team options for years three and four. And the amount of the annual salary is defined by a predetermined rookie scale that hands out cash based upon where you were picked. Last year’s #26 pick, Jordan Hamilton of the Denver Nuggets, made $1.1 million his rookie season and will get another $1.1 million guaranteed in year two.

Expect Plumlee’s contract to be nearly identical to that.

  • Chris D.

    Yay. Please be the second-coming of Brad Miller.

  • Mike

    Maybe he can buy a suit jacket that fits.

  • Derek U

    I don’t think this guy will be stretching the floor like Brad Miller…

    Just be serviceable. I think thats all the pacer nation ask for.. is serviceable, at least better than Tyler Hacknslash.

  • Mike 2

    Please rebound the ball. Can we please get a big man (hoping its you Miles) on the second unit who can average 10 boards? We play fast and put up a lot of jumpers, espcially with that line up.

  • Ian

    Supposed to be the 2nd coming of Jeff Foster, not Brad Miller. That would be just fine too. I think he has more athleticism than Foster does. Question is does he have the heart and instincts (hopefully without the back problems).

    He was stuck on a Duke team that basically just had him set screens for 3-pt shooters in college so his numbers there aren’t necessarily an indication of how useful he will be.

  • Jordan

    If he’s not Kevin Love, then he’s trade fodder. Pacers are piling up the boredom in free agency. I thought we were gonna make more big moves!

  • Zack

    @ Mike 2

    What bench player is going to average 10 rebounds per game? Answer: NO ONE. If Miles is in fact going to average 10 boards per game, he’s either A) getting 30+ minutes per night, or B) a starter. If he isn’t a starter and getting 10+ RPG, then he certainly should be starting.

    Miles needs to outperform players that were picked after him like Perry Jones III to be what I would call a successful pcik. I don’t know if he’ll be able to do that. But if he can work hard and become a decent big off the bench, I guess we need to be alright with that because that sure seems like his ceiling to me.

  • Markus

    Jamal Crawford will be signing with the Clippers according to sources. Another “potential” FA the Pacers should have been pursuing lost to a big market team.

  • Joe B

    Second-coming of Foster would be a steal at the 26th pick, in terms of defense, rebounding, and hustle. PJIII has greater potential–MP has size and four years with one of the best coaches in the game. Mike 2, he won’t come close to 10, but if he can average 6 and 6 off the bench and learn how to take a charge/ block a shot, the Pacers will have found their back-up big man.

  • Zack

    I’d rather have the potential of PJ3 than the hustle and grit possibility of Plumlee.

  • little B

    @ Zack,
    I’m pretty sure PJ3 dropped in the draft due to off court issues. Last thing the Pacers want to do is get a guy with a bad rep to come in and undo everything the Pacers have done the last 5 years to clean up there name. Also I highly doubt Plumlee is going to make or break this team so I am not really worried about this pick.

    @ Markus
    Yeah. Nash, now Crawford. Let’s just hope they get Mayo and Hibbert. Mayo my guess will have a contract like Hill. So they should have about 3-4 mil left after that to go get someone else? I’m guessing that could go to another big man (don’t think Kaman will be that cheap).

  • NexSerenade (Mike)

    Foster averaged 12 rebounds on his career Per 36 statistic. At the heighth of his career statistically (A Five-Year Span between ’03-’08) he played in 358 games (71.6 avg), starting in 254 of those games (50.4 avg) and playing an average of 24.6 mpg. Lou Amundson averaged 3.7 rpg over 12.6 mpg in 60 games with no starts last season. Foster in his first two NBA season played in 90 games (45 avg) with just 9 starts and averaged 3.6 rpg in 10.4 mpg.

    Foster was drafted 21st overall.

    Basically, if Plumlee can simply step in and replace Lou’s rebounds while playing better defence than Lou (at times this last season, a rake could play better defense than Lou) than his rookie season will be a success. People nowadays think a draft pick has to come and compete for ROTY to have a good season. By the end of the first month of 2012-13 basketball, this guy is probably going to have his own chanting section in the G2 Zone. (Assuming Area 55 is defunct)

  • Dwight Meredith

    A backup 5 without very good offensive skills, needs to be able to do several things to succeed.
    In particular, he needs to be able to 1) contain quick guards on the P&R and recover to the roll man, 2) protect the rim from the weak side; 3) rebound on both ends; and 4) set good screens.

    A backup 5 who can do those four things competently is valuable. Omar Asik will tell you it is $8 mill per year valuable.

    Because of his size, agility, and motor, I think Plumlee has a chance to do a reasonable job at all four tasks. Plumlee is 6’10+ 252 pounds and Plumlee had the best lateral quickness and the highest vertical jumps of any big man measured at the pre-draft combines. http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/?page=&year=2012&source=All&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=5&sort=

    At any rate, expecting more than a chance of obtaining a rotation player from such a late pick is just not being realistic (except, perhaps with a draft and stash strategy).

  • Zack

    @ little B

    PJ3 dropped because of his motor and apparent knee issues. He’ll still be better than Plumlee. I guess I’m a big PJ3 believer. He has so much untapped potential, and was being used incorrectly at Baylor. He should be able to tap into that potential playing with Durant, Westbrook and company. imo, he also would have been able to do that playing with David West, Granger and co.

  • Mike 2

    @zach
    I agree that Miles won’t average 10 boards a game and won’t get the minutes to try. I will say that we definately missed a defensive inside presence whenever Roy went out of the game. Lou and Hans aren’t great rebounders, so I would be extremely pleased if Miles can come in and replace Lou’s rebounds + 2-3 more and play good defense around the rim. Also remember too that Roy has never averaged more than 30-35 min a game, so Miles should get a little burn this season.

    Also, if Miles can become a proven shot blocker from the weak side, imagine a “twin towers” lineup with Roy at the 5 and Miles at the 4. That would seem to be a good start in looking at miami or the Bulls in the playoffs. Neither team would be able to drive the lane or defend the low block, and if Roy misses a short hook you have Miles there for a put-back. The big line-up would be Hill (6’4″) George (6’10″) Granger (6’8″) Miles (7’0″) and Roy (7’2″). That is a big, atheltic, long line-up that would be great on defense and has 4 scorers.

  • gregor t.

    Has anyone ever noticed that THans is shorter than Granger in dang near every photo on the Pacers website. just sayin!