Okay, okay.  I was wrong on Ed Davis.

Who knows how his career may pan out, but I’m guessing the only time he’ll enter Conseco Fieldhouse will be as a visitor. He’s just NOT an Indiana guy.

Now…if Davis had mind-blowing skills I’m guessing I’d overlook any personality flaws.  Hell, DeMarcus Cousins is a nut-case and will be a top-4 draft pick.  But while Ed has a strong upside - his skills are not dramatically better than some of the other power forwards on the board. 

Sure, he can shoot.  He has a nice touch around the basket and is active on the glass.  His defense is also solid.  Davis considers himself a “great help defender” and learned the game from his dad (Terry Davis) and family friend (Ben Wallace).

But the intrigue stops there.

I could be way off base, but Davis’ demeanor, body language, and charisma didn’t strike me as being the perfect match for the Pacers.  Call it a gut-feeling, call it a hunch, call it whatever…but Davis struck me as a kid who is immensely talented, but I question whether or not basketball is his top priority.  And quite frankly, we can’t afford any more scatter-brained players here. 

You can question Hibbert’s lateral movement on defense…but you can’t question his passion.

You can question Hansbrough’s equilibrium…but you can’t question his passion.

Brandon Rush…well, two out of three ain’t bad.

The bottom line: the Pacers need talented, passionate self-starters that give 110% without a JFK, Churchill, or Dr. King-esque speech from the coach.  We didn’t see that last year…and another season of uninspired basketball will lead to dramatic changes on the sidelines and front-office.

So whom should the Pacers select IF they hang onto the #10 pick?

Gordon Hayward? 

Hmmm…while I’m not completely sold, I am starting to warm up to the idea.  I love this kid and desperately want the former Bulldog to succeed…but I’m still a little skeptical.  He did, however, impress everyone during his workout with the Pacers on Monday.  90-minutes into the session the coaches started a three-point shooting drill where Hayward proceeded to knock down 32-of-his-45 attempts.  The kid had to have been dog-tired, but still nailed 71% of his 3’s from NBA range (he strangely struggled behind the college arc last season).  

Look, we all know Hayward can shoot the ball.  We all know he has a high basketball IQ and point guard-like ball-handling skills for a 6-9 forward.  What has been questioned is whether or not he can defend athletic and strong 2-guards and small forwards in the NBA.  We also don’t know if he can consistently create his own shot against better defenders.  The jury is still out…

One way I see Hayward coming here (or should I say “staying here”) is if Bird pulls off a deal similar to the one in ’08 when he acquired the 13^th and 17^th pick (Rush & Hibbert).  Also, if the defensive minded big man the Pacers are high on is taken before #10…then Hayward becomes very much in play.

Could that big-man be Daniel Orton?

No, no, and no.  Orton won’t last beyond #20 because (for some reason) there are teams that are high on him.   But the kid has more question marks than Jim Carrey’s “Riddler” outfit.

Orton missed most of his senior year of high school due to injury, but was still able to secure a scholarship at Kentucky.  Unfortunately, Orton was overshadowed in Lexington by Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, and Patterson…averaging a mere 3 points and 3 rebounds all season.  He scored in double-figures just twice all year…and fouled out five times! 

Get this, Orton fouled out against Wake Forest in 12 minutes, UCONN in nine minutes, and Vanderbilt in JUST SEVEN MINUTES!!  How do you pick up five fouls in seven minutes????

He hasn’t seen significant minutes on the court since his junior year of high school…and it has shown in his pre-draft workouts.

Tuesday afternoon I approached him after his second workout with the Pacers (Avery Jukes, Trevon Hughes, and Thomas Heurtel also participated)…and I asked him how it went.  He started by telling me it went “pretty well,” then went on to say:  “…I got scored on a lot, that’s for sure.  I wasn’t playing great defense…”

What?!  I didn’t have the heart to follow with:  “You mean to tell me Avery Jukes whipped your ___ on the floor????”

His footwork hasn’t improved (both on the offensive and defensive sides of the floor), his face-up game is okay, he can’t stay out of foul trouble, and worst yet – he made Jukes look like Moses Malone.

How do you spell ‘project’?  D-A-N-I-E-L O-R-T-O-N

That said, IF the Pacers decide to hang on to the #10 pick the man they should take is Ekpe Udoh from Baylor.

Udoh is an active defender with a knack for blocking shots (His nickname is “the Nightmare”).  He sees it as an art form and has a unique ability to affect shots without picking up fouls.  Udoh averaged 35 minutes a game at Baylor last season (compared to 13 for Orton) and only fouled out twice.

Baylor coach Scott Drew said of Udoh on the Dan Dakich Show Tuesday “(At Baylor) I don’t think he dated a girl, didn’t drink, didn’t smoke; the only thing he did was go to class, do the right thing, play basketball, work on his game, study game film at night, and get himself better.  And then that attitude and dedication was seen by all of our freshman and sophomores…so they’re now like THIS is how you do it.”

That’s who I would call an “Indiana” kind of player:  A guy with an old school spirit who only cares about winning basketball games and setting a good example.  That’s the vibe I get every time I talk to Udoh…and that’s what was missing when I talked to Davis. 

This team needs passionate and dedicated guys.  Udoh and Gordon fit the bill.  And barring a trade, one of them will be a Pacer on Thursday night.