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1. Reggie Miller

1. Reggie Miller

It's so strange to think about this now, but when the Pacers chose Reggie Miller with the 11th Overall Pick in 1987, Indiana’s fans were upset that they bypassed local star, Steve Alford.  It didn’t take them long to get over that frustration as Miller would emerge as one of the greatest shooters the court has ever seen.

Reggie would become the starting Shooting Guard in his second year while becoming an All-Star in his third.  Miller would go on to have four more All-Star seasons with three Third Team All-NBA Selections in a career that was spent entirely with the Pacers.  A five-time leader in Free Throw Percentage, the 1993/94 season would show off Miller’s shooting acumen as he became a member of the rare 50-40-90 club in that he would have a Field Goal Percentage over .500, a Three Point Field Goal Percentage over .400 and a Free Throw Percentage over .900. 

While Miller never won the NBA Championship, he is the owner of one of the most incredible post-season moments of all-time.  The Pacers developed a heated rivalry with the New York Knicks, who beat them in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals.  Miller was phenomenal in the series, shooting rainbow threes to the dismay of Spike Lee, but as mentioned, the Knicks prevailed that year.  They met again in 1995, this time in Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, where the result was different.  In Game 1, the Pacers were down six points with 18.7 seconds remaining, and Miller would shoot a three to cut the lead in half.  He would then steal the inbound pass from Anthony Mason and drained another from downtown.  Miller would be fouled on Indiana's next possession, where the superstar sank both shots.  He scored 8 Points in 8.9 seconds, and they would go on to win the series.  It wasn't until the year 2000 when Miller could finally reach the NBA Finals, where they would go down to defeat to the dominant Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal led Los Angeles Lakers team.  

Miller may not have won an NBA ring, but he certainly did everything he could to help the Pacers win one.  Without Miller, they never would have come as close as they did.

He would retire as the all-time leader in Three Pointers, though Ray Allen has since surpassed this.

Miller was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, five years after the franchise retired his number 31.  He was also selected to the 75th Anniversary Team.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Shooting Guard
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 11th Overall in the NBA Draft 6/22/87.
  • Departed: Retired 5/19/05.
  • Games Played: 1304
  • Per Game Averages: 34.3 MP
    .513 eFG%
    .888 FT%
    18.2 PTS
    3.0 RB
    3.0 AST
    1.1 STL
    0.2 BLK

    144 Playoff Games
    36.9 MP
    .526 eFG%
    .893 FT%
    20.6 PTS
    2.9 RB
    2.5 AST
    1.0 STL
    0.4 BLK
  • Advanced Stats: 18.4 PER
    .614 TS%
    66.1 VORP
    174.4 WS

    144 Playoff Games
    19.5 PER
    .601 TS%
    9.4 VORP
    19.9 WS
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    Third Team All-NBA (1995, 1996 & 1998)
    All-Star (1990, 1995, 1996, 1998 & 2000)
    J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (2004)
    Most 3-Point Field Goals (1992-93 & 1996-97)
    Highest Free Throw Percentage (1990-91, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02 & 2004-05)
    Highest True Shooting Percentage (1990-91 & 1993-94)
    Highest Offensive Rating (1990-91, 1992-93 & 1993-94)

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