Pacers' Miracle Season Thread - Page 2

gowizards0 · 01-09-2023, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rippev

Trading for Haliburton is the best thing that this organization has done in a long time.

makes me so sad the Wizards didn't trade Beal

Pacers did the accelerated rebuild right

indyguy · 01-09-2023, 01:52 PM

Pacers have blown several leads as well, so they could reasonably be up around 4th in the East if they had closed out some of those games.

Not saying they are the 4th best team in the East or anything like that, but they have had several close ones.

Nomad · 01-09-2023, 02:04 PM

Not to bring around the conversation to Nesmith, but he had a comment in the lockeroom that if the team is within 10 with 6-7 minutes to go, they go with the mentality of expecting to win.

This to me translates to them being a top 4 team in the East when the playoffs come around. It's all about the close out.

Nomad · 01-30-2023, 11:33 PM

This is my crazy theory about the last three weeks. I remember that shortly before Celtics traded Romeo and Schroeder, they played them A LOT. And their record was doldrums. I think that the Pacers were doing something similar with Myles, giving him a showcase as a leader, so that his fair market value could be assessed.

I think that despite the 1-10 record without Ty, Pacers executives breathed a sigh of relief. He is clearly not the guy you pin a team around and now he is gonna really be able to settle in as a role player under Ty, alongside Aaron, TJ and Ben, without thinking "I could lead the Hawks and make $5 million more."

Speaking of which, did anyone notice Nesmith fouling Ja as he went up to the rim in exactly the same way as he had been fouled 15 minutes earlier? The refs didn't call a flagrant, just a common foul as a result. Message: don't try and take me out or it might be your guy next.

indyguy · 01-31-2023, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomad

This is my crazy theory about the last three weeks. I remember that shortly before Celtics traded Romeo and Schroeder, they played them A LOT. And their record was doldrums. I think that the Pacers were doing something similar with Myles, giving him a showcase as a leader, so that his fair market value could be assessed.

I think that despite the 1-10 record without Ty, Pacers executives breathed a sigh of relief. He is clearly not the guy you pin a team around and now he is gonna really be able to settle in as a role player under Ty, alongside Aaron, TJ and Ben, without thinking "I could lead the Hawks and make $5 million more."

Speaking of which, did anyone notice Nesmith fouling Ja as he went up to the rim in exactly the same way as he had been fouled 15 minutes earlier? The refs didn't call a flagrant, just a common foul as a result. Message: don't try and take me out or it might be your guy next.

I disagree on the Myles sentiment. He was going to be on the floor no matter what, as long as he's healthy.

Once Sabonis was traded there seemed to be a bit of an easier air around Myles in that he didn't feel like the odd man out. He's had so many seasons of trade rumors going around him that he can at least just focus on the task at hand now.

I think he took this deal as a way to get some extra years and see what this team can do with their build up. He'll be around 28 when this contract ends and if he doesn't like where we are at, he'll get another nice payday somewhere else.

Nomad · 01-31-2023, 05:24 PM

Maybe, but Myles was going back and forth a lot. There were substantive talks with other teams. His performance just didn't warrant dangling $40m in front of him.

I think the Pacers $17 million cap space, which they were going to eat anyway, made a difference.

Nomad · 02-28-2023, 02:52 PM

Okay, with the Pacers more-than-impressive OT showing against the Celtics and walloping of the Magic, to a point where Nesmith barely played in the 4th, can we say that if the Pacers do well against the Mavs tonight this thread is worth resurrecting? Their schedule looks pretty soft from here on out (in that better teams will be resting players)....

Nomad · 03-03-2023, 05:25 PM

Oh shoot, just realized Carsyle was giving George Hill one last ride, leading the Pacers in his native San Antonio. That is how supremely confident he is the team will either tank or enter the post season ready to exert damage. Look to the Bulls' game on Sunday for an indication of the team's possibilities moving forward.

Pathora · 03-06-2023, 07:05 PM

https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1632894538317529088

Rejecting a beer from Will Ferrell equals an automatic hobby L.

Nomad · 03-06-2023, 08:20 PM

Beer spilled and Tyrese just got chest bumped after a lights out halftime 3. I swear the Pacers fire since All Star.

indyguy · 03-07-2023, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pathora

https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1632894538317529088

Rejecting a beer from Will Ferrell equals an automatic hobby L.

Was that Ted Levine (as Buffalo Bill) with Ferrell?

Nomad · 03-14-2023, 12:05 PM

Not quite ready to call this season a wash.

Insider: Why the Pacers benefitted from resting starters (and losing) in Detroit
Tue, March 14, 2023, 5:22 AM PDT

DETROIT -- Jordan Nwora didn't have many nights like this in Milwaukee, if he had any at all.

Sure, there were a handful of nights when the former Louisville All-American was allowed to take the ball, show off a little and take a bunch of shots. He scored 34 points on the last day of the 2020-21 regular season when the Bucks sat all of their key rotation players before what became an NBA title run. In 2021-22, he scored 28 points, again when all the Bucks' stars had the night off, and 24 points on 23 shots the last night of the regular season.

But there were rarely nights like Monday when Nwora was asked to shoot and create for himself and others with the purpose being not to simply pass the time between games when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday could play.

Nwora, who was acquired by Indiana from the Bucks on Feb. 9, scored 20 points on 7 of 12 shooting in the Pacers' 117-97 loss to the Pistons at Little Caesar's Arena, and he also dished out three assists. That came after he scored 11 points against the Pistons on Saturday in another game in which the nominal power forward got some work at the 2 and the 3, showing that he is more than just a standstill shooter and attacking off the bounce.

Pacers score:Short-handed Pacers lose rematch with undermanned Pistons

That's not the first time he's ever been given that kind of responsibility -- he was the third-leading scorer in the ACC in 2020 with 18.0 points per game -- but it's the first time an NBA team has been so interested in what he did with it.

"You can't even compare it," Nwora said. "What I had the last couple games, I only got in Milwaukee when everyone was sitting out. I feel like now I'm really getting a chance to learn and grow. Like I said, they're all great players (in Milwaukee) and I learned a lot from that, but now actually being able to be in those situations and play through it, play through mistakes and learn. I think it's going to be big for my development."

That was the purpose of the Pacers' somewhat odd approach to this two-games-in-three-days trip to the Motor City -- to push development by putting players in positions they haven't been in this season. Their 1-1 finish against the Eastern Conference's worst team speak to the organization's view of the season's final months. They're following a path that doesn't necessarily fit either of the two traditional boxes.

The Pacers still don't appear to be tanking to improve their draft position, and at 31-38 they couldn't do it very effectively at this point if they wanted to. They're 5-4 since the All-Star break. Two of the four losses have come in games when All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton has not been available, and the other two to Eastern Conference title contenders Boston and Philadelphia by a combined margin of eight points. The Pacers are currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, but they're just one game back of the Chicago Bulls for 10th, which would be the final position in the play-in round, and 1 1/2 back of the Raptors for ninth. Even if they simply stopped winning now and lost their final 13 games, it's hard to imagine more than one team -- the Orlando Magic -- would pass them and improve their draft lottery odds.

But they also don't appear to be all that devoted to making the play-in round and it's almost mathematically impossible to jump high enough to avoid it as they sit 8 1/2 games behind the sixth-place Knicks. They certainly didn't treat their imminently winnable games against the Pistons as must-win.

What they instead seem to be most interested in is creating as many competitive situations as possible for their young team to learn through, and that's the best explanation for why they handled their games Saturday and Monday the way they did.

What is Bennedict Mathurin's status?

Rookie Bennedict Mathurin would have been out regardless. He sprained his ankle Thursday in a win over the Rockets, had to be carried off the floor and stayed in Indianapolis for rehab. Carlisle was mum Saturday and Monday about a timeline for Mathurin’s return, simply saying he was doing well.

Tyrese Haliburton, center Myles Turner and backup point guard T.J. McConnell were all dealing with injuries but probably could have all played in a critical situation. Haliburton bruised his left knee against the Rockets on a drive at the end of regulation, but scored 12 points in overtime in spite of it. Turner has been dealing with lower back issues going back to the spasms he suffered before the game against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. McConnell was listed as having a sore back, but Carlisle said, "T.J. has always got an ailment. It's just time for him to sit a game."

So Carlisle and the Pacers decided to give them all not just one game off to rest and heal but two. It was a move that wouldn't have made sense if they were trying to qualify for the playoffs but it did if they were looking to make things competitive. The Pistons, now 16-53, were already mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and riding a 10-game losing streak (which became 11 on Saturday). They were plenty shorthanded with seven players listed as out on the injured list, including former Purdue star Jaden Ivey, who just went on health and safety protocol. So the Pacers playing extremely short-handed put the two teams on the same level.

Approaching it that way, the Pacers got more than 68 minutes at point guard over two games for Andrew Nembhard, a rookie who has played the point all of his career but has moved off the ball so he can start with Haliburton. It allowed them to play Nwora, Oshae Brissett and Aaron Nesmith -- all 24 or younger and play power forward in normal games -- heavy minutes at multiple positions with more than one of them on the floor at a time. It meant they could play backup centers Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith extended minutes and even put them on the floor together.

So even after an ugly defeat Monday, Carlisle felt like he gained something from the trip.

"It's just valuable for our young guys to get this kind of experience," Carlisle said. "Drew Nembhard needs this kind of work at the point position. He needs to play 35 minutes a game a few games playing the point position. He played 36 tonight. He did a lot of good things in both games. There's a different rhythm to that position, a different flow."

Nembhard scored 15 points and dished out seven assists on Monday after posting 19 and eight on Saturday, giving him double figure scoring in each of his last three games.

"Being able to be a playmaker as well as scoring for myself,” Nembhard said. ”Just PG, getting those ball-in-your hand reps."

Carlisle also wanted Nwora to get ball-in-hand reps. He still got catch-and-shoot opportunities on the perimeter, hitting 3 of 6 3s on Monday and 2 of 5 on Saturday, but on Monday in particular he was free to make plays off the bounce, making 4 of 6 shots inside the arc.

"He's a guy that at the wing and the 4 position can be a bit of a playmaker as well," Carlisle said. "This is going to be a challenge for him to try to adopt that kind of feel for both elements, the scoring and the playmaking, without overcommitting to one or the other. He's got some unique qualities and he has a chance to be able to that.”

It's a challenge, but it's one Nwora is happy to finally have.

"I think I'm somebody who can make a lot happen on the floor," Nwora said. "... Here, they're putting me more in a position to do what I naturally do as opposed to Milwaukee. I was more spot-up, be in the corner, play around three guys. Not that that's wrong, they're three of the best players in the world. But here it's different. The ball is popping. It’s moving. Everybody's getting a touch. That's what's fun and unique about this team. That's what makes us good."

Others got to learn too. Carlisle said he left Jackson in with two early fouls and challenged him to defend without fouling. He ended up playing 27 minutes and fouled just twice more.

For as much as there were individual points of development to be built on, the collective effort was clearly much worse in the second game, which is why the Pacers fell behind by as many as 31 points in the second quarter and ended up losing by 20. The Pistons outshot them and outworked them in every possible way, outscoring them 62-44 in the paint and winning the rebound battle 52-42. Veteran Cory Joseph scored 22 points and wing Eugene Omoruyi, who just sighed another 10-day contract, scored 17.

"The difference in the game ... was just the edge that they played with start to finish," Carlisle said. "We just simply did not match it."

But that in itself is a lesson worth learning. Playoff series take on similar formats with multiple games in one city in a row. When teams lose at home, no matter how downtrodden they are, they fight back hard the second time around.

"To try to beat somebody at home two straight games is gonna be tougher, no matter if they're in playoff contention or not,” veteran George Hill said. ”You have a sense of urgency, especially if you're at home with your crowd and you make a couple shots and your crowd gets behind you.”

The goal for now is for the Pacers to learn what it takes to stop that. Their stars need to learn it too, as few of them have been in playoff situations themselves. On Thursday, they travel to Milwaukee to face a Bucks team on the opposite end of the spectrum from Detroit, and likely with a much more complete roster, they'll look to learn through competing there as well.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers vs. Pistons: Short-handed Pacers learn useful lessons

Deadshot · 03-14-2023, 12:19 PM

Yeah, I'm ready for this season to be over. The last two games in particular have been really hard to watch.

Nomad · 03-14-2023, 12:45 PM

I dunno, if the Pacers can sneak into play-in and have Hali and Mathurin rested, they are basically not doing that bad, as top teams will have rested their stars. I think that is the gauntlet Carsyle is setting down... if Nembhard, Nesmith, Nwora, Jackson, and Smith can gel and get it done, they have a green light.

rifleman69 · 03-14-2023, 01:47 PM

Helped the Spurs out with the Pistons victory. Thanks Nesmith!

Nomad · 03-14-2023, 03:31 PM

To be fair, Nesmith was trying out a new position and Carsyle was playing with rarely seen combinations. He did fine, 6-4-15, although you wouldn't know from the postgame interview. Nervous about being cut from team, at this point.

Which is sad, because if he ever did get good he'd be the exact personality the NBA needs in its moment of entitled thugs.

indyguy · 03-15-2023, 09:22 AM

I'm fine if they just run the young guys out there for the rest of the season. Let them get as much PT as possible.

Looking at a top 7-10 pick at the moment and there really isn't any need to push for the play-in game or try and win much now.

Give the starters a couple games, but it should be all about development to end this season.

Bring up Kendall Brown and throw him in there too.

Deadshot · 03-15-2023, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by indyguy

I'm fine if they just run the young guys out there for the rest of the season. Let them get as much PT as possible.

Looking at a top 7-10 pick at the moment and there really isn't any need to push for the play-in game or try and win much now.

Give the starters a couple games, but it should be all about development to end this season.

Bring up Kendall Brown and throw him in there too.

Kendall had leg surgery for a stress fracture a couple weeks ago. So we won't be seeing him this year. Otherwise, I agree with this 100%.

I keep getting baited into thinking this is a Pacers thread when I know better lol

indyguy · 03-15-2023, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deadshot;18757918[B

]Kendall had leg surgery for a stress fracture a couple weeks ago. So we won't be seeing him this year. Otherwise, I agree with this 100%.[/B]

I keep getting baited into thinking this is a Pacers thread when I know better lol

Damn, I missed that news. That stinks for him. Think he has a lot of potential, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Nomad · 03-15-2023, 10:18 AM

I think that the Pacers are gonna fumble their way into play-in, I even think they are good enough to make a run in first round. Carslyle don't care that much about draft rank, they got Nembhard in second round.

And shoot... Nesmith has 20 games postseason under his belt.

Nomad · 03-16-2023, 11:35 PM

The Pacers - Bucks game was one I watched with real trepidation. If they lost, as expected, they were coasting to a tank. Having blown out the Bucks in Milwaukee, minus Ty, with a real team dynamic forming between Nwora, Nesmith, Nembhard, and heck, George Hill, I expect the team is now looking at making it to the first round, at least.

Rictor · 03-17-2023, 01:17 AM

I just won suite tickets from a charity fundraiser at work for the March 29th home game vs. the Bucks, so I hope it's a good one.

Nomad · 03-17-2023, 03:17 AM

Damn... can I get an invite?

Nomad · 03-24-2023, 03:58 AM

Just want to draw attention to one of the dodgiest fashion choices by an NBA player in a long while. Nembhard, don't get too comfortable back home in Canada. Slumber party can wait till after season.

At least the Pacers invested in a professional film crew finally. I know Miles' contract ate up the budget....

Nomad · 03-25-2023, 03:01 AM

This may sound odd, but I think that the Pacers may be a stronger team without Haliburton leading, at least the way they came off in the second half of the Celtics' game. Too much trying to penetrate the impenetrable and then backing off and throwing up Hail Marys. Also Hali gonna get injured again, going down hard on every other play.

01-09-2023, 02:04 PM	#28
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	Not to bring around the conversation to Nesmith, but he had a comment in the lockeroom that if the team is within 10 with 6-7 minutes to go, they go with the mentality of expecting to win. This to me translates to them being a top 4 team in the East when the playoffs come around. It's all about the close out. Last edited by Nomad; 01-09-2023 at 02:09 PM.

01-30-2023, 11:33 PM	#29
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	This is my crazy theory about the last three weeks. I remember that shortly before Celtics traded Romeo and Schroeder, they played them A LOT. And their record was doldrums. I think that the Pacers were doing something similar with Myles, giving him a showcase as a leader, so that his fair market value could be assessed. I think that despite the 1-10 record without Ty, Pacers executives breathed a sigh of relief. He is clearly not the guy you pin a team around and now he is gonna really be able to settle in as a role player under Ty, alongside Aaron, TJ and Ben, without thinking "I could lead the Hawks and make $5 million more." Speaking of which, did anyone notice Nesmith fouling Ja as he went up to the rim in exactly the same way as he had been fouled 15 minutes earlier? The refs didn't call a flagrant, just a common foul as a result. Message: don't try and take me out or it might be your guy next. Last edited by Nomad; 01-30-2023 at 11:36 PM.

03-06-2023, 07:05 PM	#34
Pathora Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 3,056 Pathora Pathora	https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1632894538317529088 Rejecting a beer from Will Ferrell equals an automatic hobby L. __________________ Check out my Google Drive! https://photos.app.goo.gl/4h1GwpG58qmxubWq9 129/250 2016/17 Revolution Galactics, LF more.

03-14-2023, 12:19 PM	#38
Deadshot Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Posts: 7,694	Yeah, I'm ready for this season to be over. The last two games in particular have been really hard to watch. __________________ He said he name was “E”, so I introduced myself as “G”...The license plate said “IMNBITZ” or “IMNBISZ” or something. - G YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPuD3WYJ0rkpLqDdyavC2WA

03-14-2023, 03:31 PM	#41
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	To be fair, Nesmith was trying out a new position and Carsyle was playing with rarely seen combinations. He did fine, 6-4-15, although you wouldn't know from the postgame interview. Nervous about being cut from team, at this point. Which is sad, because if he ever did get good he'd be the exact personality the NBA needs in its moment of entitled thugs. Last edited by Nomad; 03-14-2023 at 03:35 PM.

01-09-2023, 01:52 PM	#27
indyguy Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 8,512 arndru indyguyat	Pacers have blown several leads as well, so they could reasonably be up around 4th in the East if they had closed out some of those games. Not saying they are the 4th best team in the East or anything like that, but they have had several close ones.

01-31-2023, 05:24 PM	#31
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	Maybe, but Myles was going back and forth a lot. There were substantive talks with other teams. His performance just didn't warrant dangling $40m in front of him. I think the Pacers $17 million cap space, which they were going to eat anyway, made a difference.

02-28-2023, 02:52 PM	#32
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	Okay, with the Pacers more-than-impressive OT showing against the Celtics and walloping of the Magic, to a point where Nesmith barely played in the 4th, can we say that if the Pacers do well against the Mavs tonight this thread is worth resurrecting? Their schedule looks pretty soft from here on out (in that better teams will be resting players)....

03-03-2023, 05:25 PM	#33
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	Oh shoot, just realized Carsyle was giving George Hill one last ride, leading the Pacers in his native San Antonio. That is how supremely confident he is the team will either tank or enter the post season ready to exert damage. Look to the Bulls' game on Sunday for an indication of the team's possibilities moving forward.

03-06-2023, 08:20 PM	#35
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	Beer spilled and Tyrese just got chest bumped after a lights out halftime 3. I swear the Pacers fire since All Star.

03-14-2023, 12:05 PM	#37
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	Not quite ready to call this season a wash. Insider: Why the Pacers benefitted from resting starters (and losing) in Detroit Tue, March 14, 2023, 5:22 AM PDT DETROIT -- Jordan Nwora didn't have many nights like this in Milwaukee, if he had any at all. Sure, there were a handful of nights when the former Louisville All-American was allowed to take the ball, show off a little and take a bunch of shots. He scored 34 points on the last day of the 2020-21 regular season when the Bucks sat all of their key rotation players before what became an NBA title run. In 2021-22, he scored 28 points, again when all the Bucks' stars had the night off, and 24 points on 23 shots the last night of the regular season. But there were rarely nights like Monday when Nwora was asked to shoot and create for himself and others with the purpose being not to simply pass the time between games when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday could play. Nwora, who was acquired by Indiana from the Bucks on Feb. 9, scored 20 points on 7 of 12 shooting in the Pacers' 117-97 loss to the Pistons at Little Caesar's Arena, and he also dished out three assists. That came after he scored 11 points against the Pistons on Saturday in another game in which the nominal power forward got some work at the 2 and the 3, showing that he is more than just a standstill shooter and attacking off the bounce. Pacers score:Short-handed Pacers lose rematch with undermanned Pistons That's not the first time he's ever been given that kind of responsibility -- he was the third-leading scorer in the ACC in 2020 with 18.0 points per game -- but it's the first time an NBA team has been so interested in what he did with it. "You can't even compare it," Nwora said. "What I had the last couple games, I only got in Milwaukee when everyone was sitting out. I feel like now I'm really getting a chance to learn and grow. Like I said, they're all great players (in Milwaukee) and I learned a lot from that, but now actually being able to be in those situations and play through it, play through mistakes and learn. I think it's going to be big for my development." That was the purpose of the Pacers' somewhat odd approach to this two-games-in-three-days trip to the Motor City -- to push development by putting players in positions they haven't been in this season. Their 1-1 finish against the Eastern Conference's worst team speak to the organization's view of the season's final months. They're following a path that doesn't necessarily fit either of the two traditional boxes. The Pacers still don't appear to be tanking to improve their draft position, and at 31-38 they couldn't do it very effectively at this point if they wanted to. They're 5-4 since the All-Star break. Two of the four losses have come in games when All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton has not been available, and the other two to Eastern Conference title contenders Boston and Philadelphia by a combined margin of eight points. The Pacers are currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, but they're just one game back of the Chicago Bulls for 10th, which would be the final position in the play-in round, and 1 1/2 back of the Raptors for ninth. Even if they simply stopped winning now and lost their final 13 games, it's hard to imagine more than one team -- the Orlando Magic -- would pass them and improve their draft lottery odds. But they also don't appear to be all that devoted to making the play-in round and it's almost mathematically impossible to jump high enough to avoid it as they sit 8 1/2 games behind the sixth-place Knicks. They certainly didn't treat their imminently winnable games against the Pistons as must-win. What they instead seem to be most interested in is creating as many competitive situations as possible for their young team to learn through, and that's the best explanation for why they handled their games Saturday and Monday the way they did. What is Bennedict Mathurin's status? Rookie Bennedict Mathurin would have been out regardless. He sprained his ankle Thursday in a win over the Rockets, had to be carried off the floor and stayed in Indianapolis for rehab. Carlisle was mum Saturday and Monday about a timeline for Mathurin’s return, simply saying he was doing well. Tyrese Haliburton, center Myles Turner and backup point guard T.J. McConnell were all dealing with injuries but probably could have all played in a critical situation. Haliburton bruised his left knee against the Rockets on a drive at the end of regulation, but scored 12 points in overtime in spite of it. Turner has been dealing with lower back issues going back to the spasms he suffered before the game against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. McConnell was listed as having a sore back, but Carlisle said, "T.J. has always got an ailment. It's just time for him to sit a game." So Carlisle and the Pacers decided to give them all not just one game off to rest and heal but two. It was a move that wouldn't have made sense if they were trying to qualify for the playoffs but it did if they were looking to make things competitive. The Pistons, now 16-53, were already mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and riding a 10-game losing streak (which became 11 on Saturday). They were plenty shorthanded with seven players listed as out on the injured list, including former Purdue star Jaden Ivey, who just went on health and safety protocol. So the Pacers playing extremely short-handed put the two teams on the same level. Approaching it that way, the Pacers got more than 68 minutes at point guard over two games for Andrew Nembhard, a rookie who has played the point all of his career but has moved off the ball so he can start with Haliburton. It allowed them to play Nwora, Oshae Brissett and Aaron Nesmith -- all 24 or younger and play power forward in normal games -- heavy minutes at multiple positions with more than one of them on the floor at a time. It meant they could play backup centers Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith extended minutes and even put them on the floor together. So even after an ugly defeat Monday, Carlisle felt like he gained something from the trip. "It's just valuable for our young guys to get this kind of experience," Carlisle said. "Drew Nembhard needs this kind of work at the point position. He needs to play 35 minutes a game a few games playing the point position. He played 36 tonight. He did a lot of good things in both games. There's a different rhythm to that position, a different flow." Nembhard scored 15 points and dished out seven assists on Monday after posting 19 and eight on Saturday, giving him double figure scoring in each of his last three games. "Being able to be a playmaker as well as scoring for myself,” Nembhard said. ”Just PG, getting those ball-in-your hand reps." Carlisle also wanted Nwora to get ball-in-hand reps. He still got catch-and-shoot opportunities on the perimeter, hitting 3 of 6 3s on Monday and 2 of 5 on Saturday, but on Monday in particular he was free to make plays off the bounce, making 4 of 6 shots inside the arc. "He's a guy that at the wing and the 4 position can be a bit of a playmaker as well," Carlisle said. "This is going to be a challenge for him to try to adopt that kind of feel for both elements, the scoring and the playmaking, without overcommitting to one or the other. He's got some unique qualities and he has a chance to be able to that.” It's a challenge, but it's one Nwora is happy to finally have. "I think I'm somebody who can make a lot happen on the floor," Nwora said. "... Here, they're putting me more in a position to do what I naturally do as opposed to Milwaukee. I was more spot-up, be in the corner, play around three guys. Not that that's wrong, they're three of the best players in the world. But here it's different. The ball is popping. It’s moving. Everybody's getting a touch. That's what's fun and unique about this team. That's what makes us good." Others got to learn too. Carlisle said he left Jackson in with two early fouls and challenged him to defend without fouling. He ended up playing 27 minutes and fouled just twice more. For as much as there were individual points of development to be built on, the collective effort was clearly much worse in the second game, which is why the Pacers fell behind by as many as 31 points in the second quarter and ended up losing by 20. The Pistons outshot them and outworked them in every possible way, outscoring them 62-44 in the paint and winning the rebound battle 52-42. Veteran Cory Joseph scored 22 points and wing Eugene Omoruyi, who just sighed another 10-day contract, scored 17. "The difference in the game ... was just the edge that they played with start to finish," Carlisle said. "We just simply did not match it." But that in itself is a lesson worth learning. Playoff series take on similar formats with multiple games in one city in a row. When teams lose at home, no matter how downtrodden they are, they fight back hard the second time around. "To try to beat somebody at home two straight games is gonna be tougher, no matter if they're in playoff contention or not,” veteran George Hill said. ”You have a sense of urgency, especially if you're at home with your crowd and you make a couple shots and your crowd gets behind you.” The goal for now is for the Pacers to learn what it takes to stop that. Their stars need to learn it too, as few of them have been in playoff situations themselves. On Thursday, they travel to Milwaukee to face a Bucks team on the opposite end of the spectrum from Detroit, and likely with a much more complete roster, they'll look to learn through competing there as well. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers vs. Pistons: Short-handed Pacers learn useful lessons

03-14-2023, 12:45 PM	#39
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	I dunno, if the Pacers can sneak into play-in and have Hali and Mathurin rested, they are basically not doing that bad, as top teams will have rested their stars. I think that is the gauntlet Carsyle is setting down... if Nembhard, Nesmith, Nwora, Jackson, and Smith can gel and get it done, they have a green light.

03-14-2023, 01:47 PM	#40
rifleman69 Member Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Space Mountain Posts: 3,534	Helped the Spurs out with the Pistons victory. Thanks Nesmith!

03-15-2023, 09:22 AM	#42
indyguy Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 8,512 arndru indyguyat	I'm fine if they just run the young guys out there for the rest of the season. Let them get as much PT as possible. Looking at a top 7-10 pick at the moment and there really isn't any need to push for the play-in game or try and win much now. Give the starters a couple games, but it should be all about development to end this season. Bring up Kendall Brown and throw him in there too.

03-15-2023, 10:18 AM	#45
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	I think that the Pacers are gonna fumble their way into play-in, I even think they are good enough to make a run in first round. Carslyle don't care that much about draft rank, they got Nembhard in second round. And shoot... Nesmith has 20 games postseason under his belt.

03-16-2023, 11:35 PM	#46
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	The Pacers - Bucks game was one I watched with real trepidation. If they lost, as expected, they were coasting to a tank. Having blown out the Bucks in Milwaukee, minus Ty, with a real team dynamic forming between Nwora, Nesmith, Nembhard, and heck, George Hill, I expect the team is now looking at making it to the first round, at least.

03-17-2023, 01:17 AM	#47
Rictor Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 1,857 rictor1 rictor	I just won suite tickets from a charity fundraiser at work for the March 29th home game vs. the Bucks, so I hope it's a good one.

03-17-2023, 03:17 AM	#48
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	Damn... can I get an invite?

03-24-2023, 03:58 AM	#49
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	Just want to draw attention to one of the dodgiest fashion choices by an NBA player in a long while. Nembhard, don't get too comfortable back home in Canada. Slumber party can wait till after season. At least the Pacers invested in a professional film crew finally. I know Miles' contract ate up the budget....

03-25-2023, 03:01 AM	#50
Nomad Member Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Fomenting FOMO on the down low. Posts: 7,870	This may sound odd, but I think that the Pacers may be a stronger team without Haliburton leading, at least the way they came off in the second half of the Celtics' game. Too much trying to penetrate the impenetrable and then backing off and throwing up Hail Marys. Also Hali gonna get injured again, going down hard on every other play.