What’s Next For The Indiana Pacers

What’s Next For The Indiana Pacers

to move things over to the NBA obviously we’re in I don’t know if in almost done the Conference Finals um the Timberwolves recently just won game four to avoid a sweep which to to say for the Indiana Pacers who are the team that we’re going to talk about they could not do the same thing against the Celtics they got swept and I think they’re a really interesting team to talk about um just because of the fact that going into the playoffs I believe they were I believe they were a six seed they’re four 47 and 35 is a bit of a surprise run not not to say that um this wasn’t a good roster wasn’t a talented roster going into the playoffs but you look at them and I think before the before the bracket started before we played any games I don’t think anybody would have had them going to the Conference Finals and I think even though they got swept I think it’s important to kind of point out that this was still a competitive series I mean you look you look game they’re the only one that’s not um that that wasn’t really a close game was game two because you’ve got game four uh Celtics 1 by3 game three Celtics also one by3 game two was the one that wasn’t competitive Celtics 1 by 16 um and then game one was in overtime and that game was the one where the Pacers were about to win and then Jaylen Brown had that game timeing three-point that was a bit of a miracle shot um and so you look at this team and say this team was even though they got swept conceivably like going blow for blow with what’s probably the best team left in the NBA playoffs and despite that they’re still a young team that has lots of young Talent um and is still kind of developing where do you see this Pacers team kind of going in the future Simon do you think this is success that’s sustainable and can potentially even be improved to Championship level or do they need to do a lot to to get past where they went this season um I don’t know I I personally think that they have a lot of the youth and talent and depth across the board to really pull it off I think that I think it’s sustainable to immediately answer your question I like a lot of what I see from the Pacers I mean they’ve got the star and they’ve got a lot of the guys around him like Tyrese halberton at this point I feel like there’s been enough set about how insanely good of a player he is especially with how good he was in the regular season leading up to the playoffs and he was a huge part outside of the two games he missed of their run so obviously I think he’s going to be he’s going to be a big reason they’ll be able to contend for the next little while and even just going down the team Pascal cakam I mean you’re a Toronto fan I don’t have to tell you that he’s good at basketball like he’s he’s going to be a good second or third star for this team for however ever long he chooses to stay there Miles Turner great defensive Center and then obviously in the playoffs at least I can’t say I knew his name very much before this run Andrew nard I believe is how you say it had an absolutely insane run towards the end there once halberton went out I I had it right in front of me I’ll pull it up again he had in the game three he scor Jesus was able to score 32 points and then in game four he scored 2 both were team highs which is very impressive that he was able to step up right when the team needed him also getting both nine assists and 10 assists in those games respectively just an insane run for him if he continues to show out for them I think they’ve got a lot of good things going for them I think um I like what I see I mean even going down their just depth chart TJ McConnell great backup point guard Obby toppen who I honestly forgot about but was a great Prospect at one point for I believe the Knicks like there’s a lot to like about this team for the future and I think that’s the one thing that I that really sticks out to me is the future this team was not expected to go where they went this season and they shocked a lot of people and I don’t think people will be as shocked when they do similar next season and the season after that I just think at more than anything I think this team is absolutely ready I think they’re done being in the basement I think I when they made that trade for Pascal cakam they absolutely made a statement to the entire NBA and this is them kind of showing exactly that that that trade was not a not a was a sign that you should be worried it wasn’t a fluke I don’t and I don’t think this season will be a fluke I think they’re going to continue to be good for the next little while yeah and I think when you have when you have a player like halberton I think you’re going to be good no matter what like I like I think he immediately brings up your floor to a certain extent um and yeah I think they’ve got a lot of great depth pieces I think they’ve got a lot of great developing Talent it again it’s a lot of young pieces like nart I believe is a seconde player to see this kind of performance in the playoffs against the Celtics like without your star player on the floor like I believe he was the top Point getter in their last game game four I think he got 24 um was was I believe the number um right yeah like that’s an insane performance to see and like to kind of see that development continue and maybe he he starts to make more of a name for himself where guys like us who are more casual basketball fans kind of perk their eyes up and go like who who the hell is this guy uh yeah exactly um I think that yeah it’s really promising I think the big thing and uh you look up the Pacers on on the old Google machine right now and and one of the big headlines is uh and as it should be is will they be able to resign Pascal cakam yeah um the big the headline a day ago was a quot quote from halberton saying he will do everything in my power to make sure that uh cakam resigns with Pacers so obviously it’s going to be a pretty decent contract but I think at this point um with the type of player that cak’s proven himself to be not just with the Pacers but obviously with this time with the Raptors I think you you have to get that done um absolutely in order to to keep this train kind of rolling because as much as you need young talent I think having a a veteran more veteran presence like cakam obviously cakam is not like old or anything but more of a veteran experience presence like cakam in in the room I think is really important yep and I completely agree with that I just think more more than anything actually I just think if you lose cakam here who’s your second scorer is kind of what sticks out to me like I not and that’s not diss at the rest of the Pacers like I said I like a lot about what I see from their depth they have multiple players above 12 points on the season like just going through their regular season stats they clearly have people who can score but to me it’s just it’s the next guy on that list I guess becomes Miles Turner but I I don’t see him replacing how like I don’t think he fills that cakam slot as well and then at that end who fills in the next guy and the next guy and the next guy and all that but it’s at the end of the day I think losing seaka would be such a huge loss for this team especially he was their leader in points in the playoffs he was their leader in points in the regular season it’s very clear that he just is he is that guy he’s the guy that they can rely on when they need somebody who can score this season I mean halberton as good as he is he is kind he is he’s your point guard he’s pass first he had almost 11 assists on the season per game like it’s at the end of the day you want who you want someone Elite that he can hitting with those passes and I think this season it was cakam and preferably in the future it’s going to continue to be seak but if you lose him that gets a lot harder and all of a sudden how the pressure is a lot more on halberton I think to really really up his scoring because not to say that he’s a poor scorer but I mean you want somebody else is kind of what I mean I think you want to just add to that because as good as a elite point guard can get you you need someone who that elite point guard can hit for scores and I think that cakam is that guy and I as much young Talent as they have they are not ready to replace a guy like seak quite yet yeah um I would definitely agree and I think I won’t I won’t claim this point for myself because this is uh something I saw in the the score article that they have about the Pacers um don’t have it in front of me but um one of the points they made is I believe halberton had a hamstring strain a L of the second half of the season so they like they they were saying in this article we haven’t necessarily seen um this Duo up to to full health on on halton’s part um so I think even obviously to all the points we just made to as to why you keep Seaking but I think you you do it also just to see what the the duo can operate at full potential having an offseason together because obviously a mid-season acquisition like having a full full season to kind of grow um and help help this team mature because you want to continue this momentum well obviously the Pacers aren’t going to be happy that they lost in the Conference Finals I think you can’t be disappointed with it it’s a lot further than anybody would have expected you to go as a six seed so I think you just have to keep continuing that momentum and if you lose the acam I think that stops a lot of that um I think if we want to because they were so they’re 40 4735 that is um I mean it’s in a three tie for for fifth they ended up sixth out of that deal um that they were also tied with the 76ers who you know went in the play playin playin game um but I’m looking at this they they finished behind obviously the Celtics Nicks bucks Cavs and Magic do you see them moving up in the standings regular season wise next year o um oh that is a good question I I think if they keep cakam yes I think I do think this is just a start you also got got to think about the fact that they got cakam I believe halfway through the year so I think assuming we get to see a full season out of cakam and halberton I think absolutely this I think they absolutely could get a lot better and I yeah I I don’t know it’ll it’ll be cool to see I think they’re they’re going to be the team to watch for the next little while and I I know I’m excited for them but yeah I don’t know it it’s they’re they’re a cool team to see I I’m a big fan of Halburn more more than anything else I think he’s a very fun player to watch he’s got an interesting jump shot which makes me like him so as a whole I think I’ve watched his career a little bit he’s a fun player to watch so I I think as a as a casual basketball fan it’s like the Pacers and the and the and I think the Kings too which obviously halbert’s former team that I think have been the two teams that like excite me a lot l in terms of like who I’m going to going to put on to watch the Kings more so last year I kind of kind of fell off a little bit um but I think yeah especially with Halton and bringing in cakam as you kind of refer to me as a Toronto fan I don’t know if I’d quite go that far I’m like a I’m like a I’m the most casual you’re like a you’re a Super Sonics fan that’s what you are I’m a yeah exactly I am a Canadian citizen so when the Raptors do good I’m not going to be I’m not going to be mad about it but but um obviously like you know the Raptor’s the center of attention here so i’ I’d like to see aam going into this so I think that pairing is awesome so like I I put I’m not I put up putting on a couple Pacers games this year just being like yeah this is an exciting team and I’m excited to see where they’ll go just like you said um yeah I think I think if you’re if you are a Pacers fan like you you’ve got to be disappointed in this result but I think just like thrilled for the future absolutely yeah no you I you have to be I think because your young star is continuing to show how Elite of a point guard he’s going to continue to be and you’ve got a guy who could potentially be that number two for him I think in know a lot of years and history shows that that’s sometimes all you need especially if both of them can play up to their potential I mean we’ll just have to see what happens with it because they have a lot of guys around them as well it’s not like that’s all that’s it’s not like they’ve only got cakam and Halton and a bunch of death guys a lot of those depth guards absolutely are skilled too and I they built a really good team there in Indiana and I I do think the n NBA is better off when Indiana is playing well I think of like those Paul George teams that went to a couple Eastern conferences against LeBron and I think both I maybe it was only Miami I think it was only Miami but nonetheless like I think I think of those teams whenever we’ve had Indiana playing in those big games it’s always been fun to watch and I think that that has been sort of past on from that Paul George era back into this era of Indiana Pacers basketball and I I’m all for it I think it’s awesome I think they’re they’re a fun team to watch not necessarily in the biggest market and I think that just makes it that that much better as well I so for me I’m all for it I think it’s clear you’re all for it too Caleb so I think it as a whole it’s it’s pretty cool to see

Thank you so much for watching!!!

Trick Play is a sports podcast hosted by Simon Szyszkowski and Caleb Peterson. Every week, they break down all of the news circulating around the sports world that week. The podcast is recorded in multiple different segments that are patched together into the full package that you can find both in video form on YouTube and in audio form just about anywhere you find your podcasts. If you want to just watch a certain segment, they are posted as well separately on YouTube.

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Simon Szyszkowski is a play by play commentator who has worked with many sports teams and companies on both the collegiate and junior levels.

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Caleb Peterson is a sports writer for the Ubyssey, UBC’s campus newspaper.

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Author Link: https://ubyssey.ca/authors/caleb-peterson/