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Pacers End-of-Season Mailbag w/ Samson Folk

🕑 Added 2024-05-30 12:45:00 +0000 UTC

Comments

Jess

Thanks for a great season! Us Pacers fans are lucky to have you

CK

I mean, not a huge disconnect or anything. I think I'm just a lot more optimistic about Jarace. Yes Obi and Jarace made similar mistakes, but one guy is a 4th year player and the other has barely played in the NBA. Jarace improving his defense seems like very low hanging fruit. Now I didn't watch much G-league so, of course, I'll defer to you if you really think there's any reason to think he'll never figure that out. Anyway, I feel like everything we drafted him for still seems on the table from everything I've seen and now he's got a spot up three too. I'm just excited about him!

Caitlin Cooper

I think you’re essentially repeating what I said — which was that he and Obi made some similar mistakes, but that Jarace has the tools to overcome the physical limitations that prevent Obi from being effective in switching schemes. I also admitted that Jarace is very young and there’s a lot that we just don’t know. I’m not really understanding the disconnect.

Bob Cook

Thanks for the mailbag! As you talked about Myles, it reminded me of some thoughts I’ve had about how, if the Pacers want to build a championship team, between the cap and players’ ceilings the team might end up making some unpopular decisions. Of course, if they work out the crowd quiets. For example, I’m sure you don’t hear much in Boston anymore about how could the Celtics trade away their heart and soul in Marcus Smart.

CK

Thanks for all the coverage! Great stuff all year. I was a little unsatisified with the Jarace talk. 1. I think most of the defensive criticisms of Jarace you showed in video -- lateral movemnet, screen navigation, how to play off a shooter - are just experience oriented. Maybe there is a basic IQ issue, but I don't see much reason to think that especially with a guy who as such great court vision. Comparing him to Obi on defense just seems silly. Jarace has lateral movement, hand quickness and an ability to get lower to the ground that are just not available to Obi. Jarace just needs minutes and he automatically would be a defensive improvement on back-up 4 minutes if that's the way you wanted to go IMO. 2. I think Jarace's elite skill is passing and court vision. We have seen so few minutes of it and every time I'm astonished at how comfortable he is with the ball and the passes he sees and attempts. Again, he makes a fair number of mistakes, but that's what you'd expect from a guy who has payed a handful of NBA games. There are not many guys his size that are comfortable doing what he seems comfortable with. 3. That being said, how does his pick setting look? Jarace as the short roll has the potential to develop into an antidote to any doubling of Tyrese in the future. He really could be Tyrese' Draymond. 4. I also see him leading the break. I don't see any reason that couldn't happen a lot next year with the second unit on grab and go situations. 5. It's hard with a team this good and also needing to devolop Mathurin, but you have to get the ball in Jarace's hands next year if you want to give him a chance to fully develop. 6. So I expect him to be our back up 3 or 4 to start the year. The goal should be to get him to replace Nesmith in the starting line-up. 7. But that's assuming you don't have Benn replacing Nesmith in the starting line-up. Best case scenario and we have a real log jam with Nesmith, Nembhard, Benn, Ben, and Jarace at the 2 and 3.

Norma

Caitlin i know you need to rest and this isn't urgent in any way...i was wondering if you had any thoughts on the fact that the Pacers seem to have issues with side post entry passes to Pascal