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Making sense of the Bizarro Pacers
🕑 Added 2024-11-19 21:27:39 +0000 UTCTalking into microphones about why a team that stayed the same is playing so differently while also continuing to manage injuries
By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper
A very depleted version of the Indiana Pacers lost to a very depleted version of the Toronto Raptors, falling by a score of 130-119 on what was the second night of a back-to-back on the road, which means the time has once again come for another collaboration with Raptors Republic's Samson Folk, who was on the scene for this game at Scotiabank Arena. As you may recall, in addition to his coverage of the Raptors, Samson also contributed his time and immense talent here at Basketball, She Wrote for the entirety of Indiana's playoff run last season.
The last time we talked for public consumption, the Pacers had just been eliminated from the Eastern Conference Finals. Now, a few months later, they currently have a losing record and don't exactly look like themselves, neither stylistically or in terms of which players are healthy and available.
Given that Samson is familiar with both teams, the two of us recapped what happened in the latest Pacers-Raptors clash (if you can call it that), as well as plenty of other assorted topics, ranging from various hot button topics surrounding the team to broader league-wide trends. Enjoy!
Here are the relevant timestamps:
0:00 - Introductions
3:06 - What happened to the (Pace)rs?
20:29 - Tyrese Haliburton's up-and-down play
28:45 - Why Haliburton is playing less on ball
36:43 - Big scoring performances from Bennedict Mathurin and RJ Barrett
38:37 - Indiana's defense against Barrett
42:45 - Quick thoughts on Jarace Walker's balance
46:30 - Why was Gradey Dick guarding Mathurin?
50:51 - Mathurin's creativity as a finisher
52:47 - Why passing is critical to leaps for Mathurin and Barrett
57:47 - Haliburton-Mathurin as a pairing
1:04:57 - Rise of ball pressure defense + merging the two sides of the floor
1:16:34 - Why Toronto's offense is like reading a Jane Austen novel
1:26:26 - Shoutout to the Basketball, She Wrote reader that Samson met at his bouldering gym in Toronto
1:27:11 - Thank you and Goodbye
Comments
Jay Rigdon
It was evident in New Orleans, too.
Caitlin Cooper
Very evident when I was at the NYK game
Caitlin Cooper
I'm guessing it was just a Patreon glitch
Caitlin Cooper
And, how Tyrese's role changed following that trade: https://www.patreon.com/posts/pacers-are-their-99691293
Caitlin Cooper
It was like a hurricane followed by a tsunami. After the hamstring injury happened, Tyrese obviously wasn't creating as much separation and the main way they would go about assisting him in that regard was with Buddy ghosting the switch. Also, make a significant difference with their running game in transition. I covered this several times last season. Here's some links: Why the Pacers are no longer a blur https://www.patreon.com/posts/why-pacers-are-100669599; Buddy's gravity https://x.com/C2_Cooper/status/1755080016558215565/video/1
Paul Jacobson
something i've been wondering is what the difference between tyrese's per-36 numbers in lineups with and without buddy hield before the trade, and without buddy since the trade. obviously the post-trade numbers will be worse because of the injury, but i'm just curious as to how important a shooter with buddy's gravity is to what he does (i also just imagine a shooter with buddy's gravity is important to any offense hah).
Brendon Bowlds
Really like Sampson's point about making pieces especially fit. Like maybe Mathurin is just good enough that you try to make it fit eventually Definitely agree about the passing, which eye test says has improved since his rookie year. But he does need to expand his passing abilities....Also, a jump stop would do wonders.
Rex Harris
You just have to watch when Tyrese goes to the bench being fitted with that big back brace, there's your cue of why that burst is missing.
Norma
Thanks i don't know what you did by the video is there now
Norma
Hi i cannot find the link
