Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Ryan Carr Media Availability (June 20, 2024)

Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Ryan Carr Media Availability (June 20, 2024)

a lot of picks but none of them in the first round what did that kind of or how did any way did that change you guys’ approach to what this would look like yeah our approach always stays the same we we we uh prepare all year for the whole draft pick one to you know even undrafted guys that we may we may pick up after the draft so in terms of process um in terms of how we go about our work uh it really doesn’t change uh we we take pride in being prepared for the whole draft and nothing it really doesn’t change based on what picks we have had a lot of experienced guys com in this year was that intentional was that who was available why did that be kind of a theme for these well I think you know our our picks are pretty close together 36 down to 50 uh I think in that range tends to tends to be uh more experienced players the the highest talented youngest players tend to be drafted first in general and so that that just ends up who it is also you’re still dealing with the co years that the NCA allows and so you’re just still dealing with an older an older group of kids what’s your approach to getting in second round picks what are you looking for in those stages of the draft yeah we’re I mean we’re looking for guys that um that are coachable that know how to play that are going to get better uh guys that um can shoot the ball guys that play hard you know you’re you’re looking for something that’ll get each one of them in the league and stick in the league um you know you’re in the second round you’re you’re probably not going to get um you know a super a guy that has no works right a guy that has no weaknesses so you’re just looking at all these guys figuring out how they might get in uh how they might stay in uh the league and and you know get up there and talk through it and figure out a plan of how you would do that with the way you guys played and the speed and Pace how do you best simulate that and try to see which players fit that best in a workout yeah we have a usually before you guys get in here but we do a we do some transition stuff with them we want to see their decision making on the Fly we want to see uh See How fast we can get the ball up the court uh obviously it’s a it’s a important style of play that we had success with the last couple years and and uh it’s going to be important for players that come to play for us that they fit into that style what do you think of the two night draft now and how that will be maybe helpful especially for you guys with three second rounders yeah it’s going to be interesting I think we all have ideas of of what’s going to go on uh after night one and into night two and and uh but we’ll see we you know we’ll we it allows us a night to kind of reset and look at the board and and uh just you know formulate a plan we have an early pick for the second day the sixth pick in that second day so um you know that’s I think it advantageous um but we’re not sure will agents try to slot guys and try to put guys where they want them you know will we be doing the same I think there’ll be a lot of conversations in terms of uh getting prepared for night two uh immediately starting after night one I I think it’ll be fun and uh looking forward to do you expect to maybe get or even make more calls I guess with the picks and the time between day one and day two of the drafts yeah I think the the good thing about having two days is those calls in when it’s one night our our rapid fire and and the picks are coming quick uh especially in the second round this gives you a chance to breathe have those conversations you want to have with the agents without um in the background you know the countdown to you know countd down your pick where you may have four minutes 2 minutes whatever it is um so it’ll allow a little bit more time um for those conversations the success that the team had this past season going to the Eastern Conference Finals that obviously you’re focused on the draft but how does the success that the team had um last year affect you guys as you go into this year’s draft well I think you saw a lot of our players Blossom and you know and and there’s a lot of promise there and and we’re just trying to add to it we’re at trying to the draft we’re trying to add more good young pieces to what we already have so that that’s the goal there’s been this perception that this is a weaker draft do you feel that way do you even identify it like that or do you always kind of feel like there’s talent in every draft to be had well there look there’ll always be good NBA players that come out of every single draft um you know there there’s there’s going to be players from the top of the draft the middle of the draft the end of the draft there’ll be undrafted guys that end up being NBA players it’s our job to figure out who those guys are and try to try to get them on our team and and we’ll do that a lot of coverage some weird some fair about bronie James CU what youve of the process that he’s kind of had to go through just given who his dad is and how it’s all been for him this year yeah it’s it’s Unique um you know bronnie is is a good player I think they’re working to put him in the best possible situation and uh obviously you know you know we’ll see time player of course yeah yeah what’s your favorite part of uh this is it the preparation for the draft is it when you uh get into um the days before and into the draft when you’re making the decisions on the Fly for you personally what do you enjoy most about yeah a couple of parts I love getting to know the kids we travel around the world watching these guys and without really talking to them without getting to know them you you form opinions of what you think they’re kind of like by watching them but then to get in front of them and and speak to them I I really enjoy that the interviews and and uh hearing their stories hearing what’s important to them on the court off the court I love that and then obviously the draft at self is it’s a lot of fun um you know it’s it’s a it’s a lot of quick decisions it’s a lot of um you know they just it’s unpredictable and so Kevin Kevin does a great job with all that and Chad and it’s fun to you know fun to help them execute um you know their plan and then you guys have had this um kind of our group uh together in terms of your decision makers for the draft for the past few years does that give you a little bit more comfort and confidence just that you guys kind of know what you’re looking for as a group yeah exactly I think I think what we you know with Coach Carlile here for a few years now and and our group being together uh I think we we have a good idea at what uh what kind of players what kind of characteristics can be successful here and successful for for Rick and um helps us kind of narrow in on some guys so I I think there is an advantage to that for sure you mentioned the transition drills a lot of the prospects said that the stood out here compared to other places that they’ve worked out does that did that become something you guys wanted to pursue because of the way you guys play or how does that kind of shape it is yeah I think the point of the workout is to is to see them do things um more how the Pacers do them rather than just these other places where you know they’re they’re doing more standard things or somebody else is running them so obviously if you play here you’re going to have to get up and down the court um so it does give us give us a chance to to to see that and and uh just see how guys react um some some guys pick it up you know easy some guys are used to playing faster from where they come from others maybe have played in really slower paces and and they have to they’re going to have to adjust adjust to it but yeah it’s definitely a chance for us to at least in a in a very small sample size uh see kind of how they would do when you take a look back at the season in the playoff run I guess what alterations and what kind of things are you looking to add throughout the draft and even in free agency yeah more of what we have I mean more of more of what we have

Vice President of Player Personnel Ryan Carr spoke to the media ahead of the 2024 NBA draft.