Regardless of whether Lance Stephenson is better suited to be a point guard or a shooting guard, he’ll be a Pacer next season. In a completely unsurprising move, Indiana signed the No. 40 pick in this year’s draft to a multi-year deal, according to NBA.com.
Pacers coach Jim O’Brien fancies Stephenson a point guard, and he thrived in that capacity in the Orlando Summer League. However, while Lance was able to score with relative ease against his Summer League contemporaries, he didn’t exactly rack up the assists. In the three games in which Stephenson played significant minutes, he totaled just six assists while turning the ball over seven times. Summer League stats may not be worth all that much, but it’s clear that if Stephenson is going to be a point guard, he’s going to be cast in the scoring mold.
Regardless, Stephenson looks like great value for a second round pick. Lance was unspectacular in his freshman season at Cincinnati, but he’s long been considered more of a pro prospect than a candidate for college stardom. Stephenson has definitely piqued the Pacers’ interest, and he may end up securing some steady burn -- both at the 1 and the 2 -- for Indy in ’10-'11.