Basketball, She Wrote posts
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On the (old) new starting lineup for the Pacers
And everything it impliesBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper Time is a flat circle, it seems. For the first time since last December, Jalen Smith started at the four, joining Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, and Myles Turner as part of a five-man unit that had logged exactly zero minutes together this season prior to taking the floor against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. With Bruce Brown missing a second consecutive game due to a ...
Pacers Mythbusting: A tale of three blowouts
Recapping the lopsided week for the Pacers, with key takeaways about some prevailing mythsBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperIt was a lopsided week for the Pacers - both in terms of record and scoring margin. After giving up 151 points to the Los Angeles Clippers, marking the fourth 150-point game in the NBA this season (all of which the Pacers have been involved in, for better or worse), the Pacers did what they were supposed to do (and then some) a...
The Pacers are still winging it against wings
Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards weren't the first forward/wings to score in bulk against the Pacers, and they likely won't be the last -- unless and until something changesBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperThe Minnesota Timberwolves scored 128.3 points per 100 possessions against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night, which ranks in the 88th percentile of all games this season. The Pacers were without Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard...
Isaiah Jackson is providing a spark for the Pacers
Both with his instant production as well as for the imaginationBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperWith the two fastest pace teams in the NBA going up against each other, there were bound to be some frenetic sequences -- especially when the Pacers, who haven't played at home in 11 days, allow the highest percentage of opponent shots at the rim while also ranking dead-last in points allowed per 100 transition plays. Over a span of 33 seconds, Kyle ...
On Bennedict Mathurin & navigating the in between
The sophomore guard is starting to find his feel -- at least, for nowBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperWhen the Pacers were in Las Vegas for the In-Season Tournament, Bennedict Mathurin received a pass from Tyrese Haliburton at the wing during the Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks that demonstrated the uncomfortable in-between that he's found himself in to start the season. Upon catching the ball, he didn't immediately put his head down...
What the IST Finals revealed about the Pacers
By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperTo quote Dr. Seuss (which admittedly is a very strange and corny thing to do when blogging about NBA Basketball): "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." With Tyrese Haliburton taking his game to the next level, that's exactly how the Pacers should view the run they made in the In-Season Tournament -- not only because they advanced to the Finals, but also because the Finals prov...
Myles Turner is a beacon of his own improvement
(My work at Basketball, She Wrote is typically paywalled. This article, as a synopsis of what's changed for Myles Turner through the lens of two possessions separated by four years, is available as a free trial. If you're new here and want to support independent writing about actual basketball, please consider subscribing and/or sharing it around. Alright, on to the words about the Pacers.)By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper The date is Decem...
Solving the mystery of the pick-and-roll adjustment
Join me in searching for basketball cluesBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperIn the afterglow of Monday's In-Season Tournament win over the Boston Celtics, Rick Carlisle credited his staff for making a key defensive change at halftime, which he said the players had never executed before. As such, after breaking down how Tyrese Haliburton shined in turning off the lights, this is an attempt to solve the mystery of the pick-and-roll adjustment for a...
How Tyrese Haliburton shined in turning off the lights
Illuminating the details that culminated in the star's big, late-game performance By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperThere was an air of angst to the first half of what was the first-ever In-Season Tournament quarterfinal. For a player who typically cascades with flow, wheeling around the floor in tandem speed with the rapidly rotating wheels that are always turning in his head, Tyrese Haliburton was a bit choppy, pressing at times with his deter...
Pacers In-Season Tournament Quarterfinal Preview
Breaking down the knock-out round match-up with the Celtics from the film roomBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperThe Pacers went undefeated in the group stage of the NBA's In-Season Tournament and their reward for those efforts is playing the Boston Celtics -- the team with the best record in basketball who, as you likely recall (or, maybe, purposefully chose to forget?), hung 155 points on the Blue & Gold at the beginning of November. In allowin...
The Pacers keep getting targeted by the same action
(My work at Basketball, She Wrote is typically paywalled. This article, as a snapshot of a play that summarizes what likely needs to change for the Pacers on defense, is available as a free trial for everyone. If you're new here and want to support independent writing about actual basketball, please consider subscribing and/or sharing it around. Alright, on to the words about the Pacers.)By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperAfter starting the fourt...
16 Thoughts on the Pacers Through 16 Games w/ Tony East
Talking into a microphone about the basketball played by the Indiana PacersBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperWith the Pacers 16 games into the 2023-24 season, Tony East from Locked on Pacers and I agreed to team up for a podcast, sharing 16 thoughts on all 16 players (15 players + Rick Carlisle) who have played for the Pacers this season. This is a lightning round, so our intention was to only spend 2.5 minutes on each segment, but that turned out t...
Mailbag: Getting Defensive with the Pacers
Answering questions about the Pacers and other things!By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperThis month, there were a lot of questions asked about the current state of the defense, ranging from individual developments and whether the scheme fits the personnel to how replicable the standout, fourth-quarter performance against the Pistons will be moving forward. As such, all of the inquiries were answered from the film room, so as to provide context in a m...
In going unbeaten, Pacers find new way to win
Several solid minutes of defense were played in a row By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperWhen asked what changed for him in the second half, Myles Turner said he was "pissed." After scoring the first nine points of the game for the Pacers, Turner picked up his second foul with over five minutes to play in the first quarter, sending him to the bench for the remainder of the frame. He re-entered midway through the second; however, after picking...
How the Pacers clinched Group A
Welcome back to the film room!By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperIn what can only be described as an early preview of the All-Star Game that will be coming to Indy in February, the Pacers got a jump-start on the high-scoring, lack of defense that usually hallmarks the league's annual game for stars. After all, this game had plenty of starry plays from Tyrese Haliburton, who tied the franchise-record for points scored in a quarter, while also gett...
Is This Space Taken? Previewing Pacers-Hawks w/ Film
Welcome back to the film room!By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperIn the wake of the loss that shall remain nameless, the Pacers are soon to be back in action against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday with a chance to solidify their spot atop the standings in Group A of the NBA's In-Season Tournament. As such, for the sake of providing a palate cleanser from the listless performance that was Sunday while also looking ahead to yet another game with high...
Will other teams conjure the same magic as the Magic?
Analyzing whether Orlando provided a blueprint for how to lockdown the PacersBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperIn a break from what had been the norm, the Pacers suddenly struggled to play at breakneck speed without being loose with the ball. Entering into Sunday's match-up with the Orlando Magic, Indiana ranked top-five in both pace and lowest turnover rate. By halftime, in giving up the ball more frequently than ever, one of the league's s...
Pacers Deep Dive w/ The Dunker Spot
Talking into a microphone about the basketball played by the PacersBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperWith the Pacers jumping out to a fast start, both figuratively and literally, Steve Jones and Nekias Duncan were kind enough to extend me an invitation to come talk with them about the NBA's best offense on the internet's favorite basketball podcast about actual basketball: The Dunker Spot.In addition to the offense, we also had lots of pun (...
Battle Tyrese: Reviewing Pacers-Sixers Film
And identifying possible adjustments for group play of the NBA's In-Season TournamentBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper Welcome to the film room! With the Pacers and Sixers currently in the middle of a back-to-back, it seemed timely to review the film from the first regular season match-up on Sunday with an eye for potential tweaks that both teams might make before group play of the NBA In-Season Tournament on Tuesday. Turns out, "Battle Tyr...
Bennedict Mathurin is stepping into his power
(My work at Basketball, She Wrote is typically paywalled. This article, as an in-depth breakdown of the big step Bennedict Mathurin took stepping into and revealing his power as a two-way player, is available as a free trial for everyone. If you're new here and want to support independent writing about actual basketball, please consider subscribing and/or sharing it around. Alright, on to the words about the Pacers.)By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_C...
Jalen Smith keeps winning in spot as back-up five
(My work at Basketball, She Wrote is typically paywalled. This article, as an in-depth breakdown of Jalen Smith's strong, unexpected start to the season, is available as a free trial for everyone. If you're new here and want to support independent writing about actual basketball, please consider subscribing and/or sharing it around. Alright, on to the words about the Pacers.)By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper It was like watching one of thos...
How the Pacers put up historic numbers, Explained
On the tactics of tying the team's single-game scoring record in what was a milestone game for the team's tacticianBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperA little over 24 hours before the Pacers were raining down threes and dousing Rick Carlisle with water in celebration of his 900th career win, their opposition was at home in San Antonio, playing the Toronto Raptors on the front end of a back-to-back that would ultimately result in an overtime l...
How the Pacers adapted to the In-Season Tournament
Even if the court was brighter than the spotlight, Indiana adapted to, and during, what was a game with at least some type of stakes. Highlighting the changes that were made and when, a timeline.By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperAt Media Day, when Tyrese Haliburton was asked what his biggest takeaway was from his experience playing in the FIBA World Cup for Team USA, he spoke briefly about carrying the weight of expectations for the first time in hi...
Pacers allow what they discourage in historic loss
Turns out, threes aren't company without Tyrese HaliburtonBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperThe Tyrese Haliburton-less Pacers were on the wrong side of history on Wednesday night, as they suffered the second-worst defeat ever for the franchise, falling 155-104 to the Boston Celtics, who led by as many as 53 points and won by 51. Needless to say, a lot of shots were made by the Celtics and not a lot of shots were made by the Pacers, especially fr...
Lessons from how the Bulls bullied the Pacers
A tale of two playsBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperNot unlike the Bally Sports experience, the Pacers had a lot of technical difficulties during Monday night's 112-105 loss to the Bulls. Over the final six minutes of the fourth quarter, the Blue and Gold tallied more fouls (6) than made field goals (4), as Tyrese Haliburton was held scoreless at one end of the floor while also being scored on at the other. Meanwhile, this was the second-straig...
On Aaron Nesmith and progressing back to the familiar
The fourth-year forward has been both magic carpet and security blanket, elevating his game while also providing stable (and flexible) defenseBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperLost in the scoring bonanza that was the home opener against the Washington Wizards was a very brief, yet notable, lineup quirk. With 0:27 left to play in the second quarter and the Pacers nursing a single-digit lead, Aaron Nesmith checked in for Buddy Hield and Andrew Nembhar...
Andrew Nembhard emerges as back-up point guard
On the Pacers making the difficult decision to avoid delaying the inevitableBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperOpening Night was full of surprises for the Pacers. Bruce Brown knocked down six of his eight three-point attempts, setting a new career high for a game. As a team, the Pacers scored more points in a season-opener than any squad since 1990, and en route to the 143-120 rout of the Washington Wizards, Tyrese Haliburton amassed 20 points and 11...
Mailbag: Film Study ahead of Pacers' Season Opener
Welcome to the film room!By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper To kick-off the start of the regular season, I decided to kick-off this month's mailbag by inviting you into my film room. While answering the technical questions, you can join me as I discuss specific clips, going inside actions you can be on the lookout for from the Pacers this season, as well as diving into the fit of certain player combinations. Of course, no mailbag would be comple...
Why Jarace Walker is a microcosm of the Pacers
(My work at Basketball, She Wrote is typically paywalled. This article, as an in-depth breakdown of Walker's preseason and the balance between winning and development, is available as a free trial for everyone. If you're new here and want to support independent writing about actual basketball, please consider subscribing and/or sharing it around. Alright, on to the words about the Pacers.)By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperIn retrospect, this...
Obi Toppin gets rolling in his role for the Pacers
On how the fourth-year forward started trending in the right direction against AtlantaBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_CooperThrough three preseason games with the Pacers, Obi Toppin has yet to attempt a shot as the roll-man. Meanwhile, he's hoisted nine of his 20 field-goal attempts as threes. On the surface, that probably seems reminiscent of his existence with the Knicks last season, in which he set screens less frequently than ever while also pos...
