Miles Plumlee to Indian Pacers: Scouting Report, Video Highlights and Analysis: - Bleacher Report

Miles Plumlee is one of the most intriguing late-draft prospects to enter the NBA this year.  He improved slightly in each of his years at Duke, but maxed out at 6.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and a block in 20.5 minutes per game.  

Nonetheless, the Indiana Pacers' selection is likely to have a long NBA career because he is a legitimate seven-footer with an excellent motor, rebounding skills and enough athleticism to pound the glass in the pros.

What Plumlee Brings to the Team

Plumlee is a big body who can rebound and will give his coaches everything he has when he is on the floor.  Anyone expecting stardomâ€"or even starters' minutesâ€"will be sorely disappointed, but Plumlee definitely has a defined NBA role.  Seven-foot players with strong fundamentals and the motor of a relentless rebounder will get solid NBA minutes.  

Ultimately, the big concern with Plumlee is his consistency and raw offensive skills. Despite his defensive polish and rebounding ability, he never learned to score consistent buckets in college.  If he can develop offensive skills to complement his rebounding, he can be a seventh or eighth man off the bench.

What Experts Are Saying

NBA scouts love Plumlee's size, body, motor and rebounding.  Most think that he will be a capable per-minute rebounder at the NBA level because he has the height and fundamental skills.  

However, he has no offense whatsoever and is very raw, so his professional upside is very limited. Draftnasty.com wrote:

Plumlee has plenty of energy and his ability to attack as a rebounder only helps his NBA draft stock in next month's draft.

Rookie Impact

Plumlee will get minutes as a rookie if his rebounding skills translate to the professional level.  But he does not bring much else to the table, so expecting more than 10-15 minutes per game is premature until he develops some offensive ability.

Pick Analysis

Plumlee's rather average numbers (6.6 PPG, 7.7 RPG) make this pick a bit of a surprise for the first round. But realistically, he's a 7'0'' monstrous presence in the key and that's an asset to any team.

There's no denying the Pacers lacked height beyond Roy Hibbert, and Plumlee will provide reliable rebounding and shot-blocking on the defensive front. However, his offensive game is an obvious question mark. 

Plumlee's lack of footwork and natural athleticism inhibits his capacity to contribute offensively and get position on opposing big men. His offensive contribution will be a serious project for Indiana.