Pacers Isaiah Wong and Kendall Brown have similar starts to their NBA careers. Both players were late second-round picks, both will spend or have spent their rookie season on a 2-way contract. While Wong is grateful for his opportunity, Brown has learned first-hand how precious each chance you get as a late draft pick really is. Now, he’s trying to make up for the ones he lost after missing most of his rookie season with a leg injury.
Ending his first year in the league prematurely with a surgery was challenging for the 20-year-old forward out of Baylor who knows he has to make the best out of each moment on the court he gets.
“Biggest challenge was not being able to play and finish out the season,” Brown said. “With opportunities in this league, you want to get as many as possible. Missing out on some of those really hurt.”
Brown’s leg is now at 100% and he’s been cleared for full activity for about three weeks.
Wong signed a 2-way contract with the Indiana Pacers today as the team continued their preparation for NBA Summer League. The ACC player of the year was drafted by the team with the 55th pick in the second round.
“Just make the best out of the situation,” Wong said of his mindset during camp before his contract was announced. “I’m appreciative of the Indiana Pacers. They drafted me and brought me in … not a lot of people get their names called and get this opportunity.”
Wong has been playing with the second unit during camp behind returning guards like Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin and has impressed at least one teammate in Brown.
“Really explosive guard, really shifty, really good defensively too,” Brown said when asked what he’s noticed about Wong so far. “He got a steal to win us a game at the end of practice today.”
The Pacers have three 2-way slots in total available this season with the new collective bargaining agreement, previously they had just two slots. Oscar Tshiebwe, the rebounding machine out of Kentucky who reportedly came to an agreement with Indiana immediately following the draft, also signed his 2-way contract today which leaves one spot remaining.
The Pacers tendered a qualifying offer to last year’s 2-way player and 2022 second-round pick Brown to make him a restricted free agent and he’s likely the favorite to grab that final slot. It may depend somewhat on his play in Summer League after he was limited to only six games and 40 minutes with the Pacers last season.
Wong, whose strength in college was scoring the ball, mentioned that he’s been learning lots of defensive concepts and is focused on showing his defensive versatility and getting his teammates involved this week.
“I’m gelling with all the players,” Wong said after practice. “We have a lot of good guards and a lot of good centers here and you know it’s a great place to be at. With all of these players every day is competition.”
See the full schedule, roster, and notes on every player here.
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