Category: Indiana Pacers Blog

Pacers blog – Indiana Pacers blog

Assistant coaches for Pacers to be named soon

Rick Carlisle, for the second time in his career, recently became the head coach of the Indiana Pacers. And his assistant coaches reportedly may soon be named. Via the Indianapolis Star:

Coach Rick Carlisle should have his staff rounded out within the next week, and there’s a strong chance that Calbert Cheaney will remain with the Indiana Pacers, a league source familiar with the situation told IndyStar.

Last week, IndyStar reported that Charlotte Hornets assistant Ronald Nored is “close” to joining the staff, too.

Rick Carlisle, for the second time, will become head coach of Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they have reached an agreement with Rick Carlisle to become head coach.

“Rick is a proven winner with a championship and will be a Hall of Fame coach,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “He has demonstrated throughout his career an ability to build something with sustainable success. He has great respect for our franchise and our fans from his previous times here. We are very happy to welcome him back to Indiana.”

Carlisle will begin his second head coaching stint with Indiana after he guided the Pacers to a 181-147 (.552) record during four seasons from 2003-07. In his first season as Pacers head coach in 2003-04, Carlisle led Indiana to a franchise-record 61 wins, posted the best record in the Eastern Conference and reached the Eastern Conference Finals. His 181 wins stands as the fourth-most by a head coach in NBA franchise history. Carlisle was also an assistant coach for the Pacers under Larry Bird from 1997-2000.

“My sincere thanks to Herb Simon, Kevin Pritchard and the entire Pacers organization for the opportunity to come back to basketball’s heartland,” said Carlisle. “My wife, Donna, daughter, Abby, and I are truly grateful.”

Carlisle has completed 19 NBA seasons as head coach of the Detroit Pistons (2001-03), Pacers and Dallas Mavericks (2008-21). He has compiled an 836-689 (.548) record and will enter the 2021-22 season ranked 15th in NBA history in coaching victories. Carlisle was named NBA Coach of the Year after his first season in Detroit in 2001-02 and led the Mavericks to their first NBA championship in 2010-11.

Pacers fire head coach Nate Bjorkgren

The Indiana Pacers announced Wednesday that Nate Bjorkgren will not be retained as the team’s head coach.

“The 2020-21 season was not what any of us hoped or anticipated it would be, and our results on the court certainly did not meet the standards for what our organization and our fans have come to expect,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “We have determined this is the right time to move in a different direction, and on behalf of the Simon Family and the entire Pacers organization, I want to express my gratitude to Nate for his efforts leading our team. While we do not have a definite timetable for our search, we will move quickly to identify candidates who will make our team and our organization stronger.”

Bjorkgren was hired prior to the 2020-21 season and led the Pacers to a 34-38 record. He previously served as an assistant coach in Toronto and Phoenix.

Pacers and Hornets square off in NBA Play-in Tournament game tonight

The Hornets play the Pacers at 6:30PM ET tonight in the first of two NBA Play-in Tournament games tonight. In the second game, at 9PM ET, the Wizards will face the Celtics. Both games are on TNT.

PACERS TEAM NOTES

The Pacers finished the regular season ranked sixth in the NBA in scoring and set a new NBA franchise record for the highest scoring average over a season with 115.3 points per game.

Indiana matched its franchise record with 21 3-pointers made in Thursday’s loss to Milwaukee. Justin Holiday led the Pacers with 26 points – his highest total in his two seasons with Indiana – and set a new career high with eight 3-pointers – one shy of the team’s franchise record. The Pacers set a new franchise record for 3-pointers made in a season (12.4 per game)
and passed their previous mark after 63 games this year (779 in 2018-19).

Indiana finished with the best road record in the Eastern Conference at 21-15. The Pacers finished with their third-best winning percentage (.589) on the road in NBA franchise history.

Indiana finished first in the NBA in blocked shots with 460 and 6.4 per game. The Pacers finished with their second-highest average for blocks in NBA franchise history (6.5 in 1979-80). Despite missing 25 games due to injury this season, Myles Turner finished second in the NBA with 159 rejections.

Domantas Sabonis finished with his best NBA season in 2020-21 with 20.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. He became the first player in franchise history and the fifth player in NBA history to record averages of 20 or more points, 12 or more rebounds and six or more assists per game. He is the first player since Kevin Garnett in 2002-03 to post such averages in a season.

Sabonis finished 31st in the NBA in scoring, fourth in rebounding, 13th in assists, 23rd in field goal percentage (.535), 25th in steals (1.2) and fifth in minutes played (36.0). He also finished tied for fifth in the league with 48 double-doubles and fifth with a franchise-record nine triple-doubles.

After missing the final six games of April with a back injury, Sabonis posted four triple-doubles over a nine-game span in May while averaging 23.0 points, 14.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists. He finished with 21 points and 20 rebounds in the win at Cleveland May 10, becoming the fourth player in NBA franchise history to record multiple games with 20+ points and 20+ rebounds (Jermaine O’Neal, 2, 2002-03; Clark Kellogg, 2, 1982-83; Dan Roundfield, 2, 1977-78).

Acquired in January via trade, Caris LeVert set career highs in 2020-21 despite missing 24 games due to a medical condition after the trade. LeVert finished with averages of 20.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game, all of which were his highest numbers in his five-year NBA career.

T.J. McConnell finished the regular season as the NBA’s leader in steals with 128 thefts, which was 20 more than the next-leading player (Miami’s Jimmy Butler, 108). McConnell finished with career highs this season with 8.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.86 steals per game. He also shot a career-best 55.9 percent from the field, which led the team and ranked 15th in the NBA.

HORNETS TEAM NOTES

This season, the Charlotte Hornets had two of the league’s top 3-point shooters with guard Terry Rozier finishing fifth in total 3s with 222 while guard Devonte’ Graham knocked down 179 shots from beyond the arc, 14th best. Charlotte is one of three teams along with Utah (7. Jordan Clarkson: 208, 12. Joe Ingles, 183, 13. Bojan Bogdanovic: 180) and Dallas (8. Tim Hardaway Jr.: 207, 10. Luka Doncic: 192) with multiple players in the top 15 in made 3s this season as well as one of four teams with two or more players making at least 175 3s as Chicago also joins that group (Zach LaVine: 200, Nikola Vuecivic: 176).

Rozier and Graham are the first duo for the Hornets with 175 or more made 3s in the same season as Rozier’s 222 made 3s ended up as the fifth most in a season in franchise history while Graham’s now ninth in made 3s in a season with his 179. Rozier ranks averaging 3.2 3-point field goals made per game, which ranks 12th among league leaders while Graham is 11th in 3s per contest at 3.3 as only Charlotte and the Jazz (Donovan Mitchell: 3.4, Clarkson: 3.1) have two players within the top 15 in 3s per game.

Hornets forward Miles Bridges had an excellent third season, averaging 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting .503% from the field.

Hornets guard LaMelo Ball returned from a 21-game hiatus due to injury and averaged 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game in his 10 games back. Ball totaled 27 points, six rebounds and six assists, his 10th game this season with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists, which is the third most by a rookie in their teens in NBA history as he passed Carmelo Anthony (8) on May 4 at Detroit and finished only behind Luka Doncic (17) and LeBron James (17). The first-year guard out of Chino Hills is second in franchise history in games with 20-5-5 by a first-year player, only behind Larry Johnson (16), as he totaled 17 20-point performances this season after scoring 22 points vs. New Orleans on May 9 for the fourth most in franchise history by a Hornets rookie surpassing Emeka Okafor (2004-05: 16). Since returning to action, Ball dished out at least five assists eight straight games from May 1-13 and nine of his 10 games and posted five-plus assists in 39 games this season.

In his first season, Ball averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists and 1.59 steals per game as he became just the 12th rookie in NBA history to average at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per outing in their debut season. He was just one of four players in the 2020-21 season to average at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals while appearing in at least 70% of their team’s contests along with Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butkler and Dejounte Murray as he ranked tied for 17th in assists and ninth in steals per game among league leaders this season. Ball ranks second in assists (313), third in 3s (92), tied for fifth in steals (81) and 10th in points (803) among the Hornets all-time rookie leaders as he was third in total points, second in assists and third in steals among rookies this season.

Hornets guard Terry Rozier had a strong season as he once again set a career-high in scoring with 43 points knocking down a career-best 16 field goals vs. New Orleans on May 9. Rozier also knocked down seven 3s as he totaled 24 points in the first half, tying his career-high for most points in the first half as he had 18 points in the second quarter alone.

Rozier has been stellar in the fourth quarter and in clutch moments for the Hornets as he scored 28 points vs. Orlando on May 7, including 18 second half points and 13 points in the fourth quarter. He has six games this season with 20+ points in the second half as he was one of 19 players with six or more 20-point second halves and one of 25 players with eight or more 20+-point halves this season. Rozier is averaging 3.3 points per game in 27 games played in clutch situations, the 19th best clutch scoring average, and averaging 0.5 3s per game in those instances, which is tied for fifth in the NBA.

Pacers forward JaKarr Sampson suspended, Spurs guard Patty Mills and forward Rudy Gay fined

Indiana Pacers forward JaKarr Sampson has been suspended one game without pay for headbutting San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills, and Mills and Spurs forward Rudy Gay have each been fined for their roles in an on-court altercation, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident began when Sampson and Mills were battling for rebounding position. It continued to the next possession when Mills made contact with Sampson and Sampson shoved Mills. Sampson then furthered the altercation by aggressively confronting and headbutting Mills. Sampson’s actions resulted in a Flagrant Foul 2 and an automatic ejection.

Mills received a technical foul and has been fined $25,000 for his role in the altercation. Gay also received a technical foul and has been fined $20,000 for escalating the incident by shoving Sampson.

The incident occurred with 9:32 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Spurs’ 109-94 win over the Pacers on April 19 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Sampson will serve his suspension tonight when Indiana faces the Oklahoma City Thunder at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Pacers sign forward Oshae Brissett

The Indiana Pacers have signed forward Oshae Brissett to a standard NBA contract.

Brissett originally signed with the Pacers on a 10-day contact on April 1, followed by a second 10-day contract on April 11.

Previously this season, Brissett played with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA G-League bubble, where he was named to the 2020-21 All-NBA G League Second Team.

Brissett spent his rookie season in 2019-20 on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors.

Pacers sign forward Oshae Brissett to 10-day contract

The Indiana Pacers signed forward Oshae Brissett to a 10-day contract today.

A 6-7 forward in his second professional season out of Syracuse University, Brissett recently completed the 2021 G League season as a member of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers’ affiliate in the NBA G League. Brissett appeared in 19 games for the Toronto Raptors during his rookie season in 2019-20.

The Pacers are 21-25 this season, which is the 9th best record in the Eastern conference.

Pacers’ T.J. Warren will not return until next season

The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday that T.J. Warren will be out for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

Warren underwent surgery on January 5 to repair a small left navicular stress fracture.

The Pacers are just 20-23 this season, which is the 9th best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers in 2020-21 are Malcolm Brogdon at 21.4 points per game, Domantas Sabonis at 20.1 ppg, Caris LeVert at 16.7 ppg (in 7 games played for the Pacers so far), and Warren at 15.5 ppg (in just 4 games played).

Caris LeVert and Pacers set to face Nets

Caris LeVert showed great promise as a young NBA talent coming up with the Nets. His NBA journey resumes now that he recently made a successful Pacers debut. Via the NY Daily News:

Caris LeVert has recovered from his kidney surgery in time to give the Nets a blast from the past. The Nets traded LeVert to the Rockets in the James Harden trade, and when the Rockets subsequently traded him to Indiana for Victor Oladipo, the Pacers discovered a cancerous growth on his kidney.

LeVert returned on the two-month anniversary of his diagnosis and has played in both of the Pacers’ last two games. He scored 13 points in his Indiana debut then scored 17 points in his new team’s Monday loss to the Nuggets.

LeVert, who is starting in Indiana, will host a very different Nets team on Wednesday than the one that traded him, Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, Rodions Kurucs and seven years worth of draft assets in a megadeal earlier this season.

Through two games for the Pacers so far, LeVert put up 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 28.0 minutes per outing.

Cassius Stanley gets Slam Dunk contest advice from Victor Oladipo

Pacers guard Cassius Stanley will be competing in this year’s Slam Dunk content. It’s always smart for young players to seek veteran advice, whether about regular basketball or throwing down dunks, and that’s reportedly what the rookie is doing. Via the Indianapolis Star:

With Cassius Stanley set to compete in his first NBA dunk contest Sunday during halftime of the All-Star Game, he sought the advice of a contest veteran: 2015 and ’18 competitor and former teammate Victor Oladipo.

“He really just told me, ‘Don’t wear yourself out before the Dunk contest,'” Stanley said of Oladipo. “Obviously, you want to go in there confident knowing the dunks you can make, but also know that if you miss some dunks in practice, your adrenaline is going to be so high that you’re going to jump higher.”

It’ll be a condensed All-Star Weekend this year, with all events taking place in a single day. Sunday should be loads of fun.