Indiana Pacers Media Availability | March 9, 2024

Indiana Pacers Media Availability | March 9, 2024

That any sense I know you the word timeline but I mean how much longer no idea what the you got two days worth of practice obviously between in between games don’t get to do that very often uh like to accomplish well we had plenty of things to work on

Um there are a lot of areas that we need to continue to get better at um how we start games Um you know our rebounding is is is constantly a challenge for us and defensively we we uh we need to be as physical as we can be I guess how do you just you know when you have a lot of things to work on how do you pick one

And focus on and what do you you know what can you get across into practice and say this is got to start being well two with two days there’s plenty of time to to key in on some things um you know defensively we we certainly spent more time defensively

The last couple days than offensively but we’ve needed offensive work too so um practice time is valuable this will be a rear time down the stretch we get a couple of days so the hope is that we’ve made good use of it you obviously when youever talk about

Defense you talk about presence I like one of the biggest things that you’re looking for me like this is there a way to measure it or is it a sort of eye test kind of thing that you look out and you see a lot there up or is there any

Are there particular numbers or anything else you look at and say we’re lacking pres is see look at the opponent’s shooting percentage sure you can look at rebounding um and you know points in the paint all those are indicators that you’re you’re either there the way you need to be or

You’re not and so uh and those are the indicators but the eye test is also a strong indicator and uh so look we got to we got to have you know a real physical mindset you know going down the stretch of the Season you know every game’s a war everybody’s everybody’s playing for

Something um and you know it’s comes down to simple hard efficient play we talked earlier about um started getting some more work three how do you think that position fits you like obviously you played point guard in high school you s made four and

A lot of five but how does three feel as sort of an in between spots um I feel like it’s perfect I mean I feel like it’s multiple positions I can play obviously 3 being one of them but I mean my ability just get the rebound run um

Push in transition find teammates but also play position on defens well but also had big big guys around me um which also helps my playmaking so I feel like it’s perfect with the as far as where you’re attacking from on offense what do you like about just the positions that

You that you get to operate from how do you of that yeah like playing more on the wing being able to catch and go get downhill obviously being able to catch and shootting knock down three so I mean just being on the floor with a ton of

Space and play playing with ti racing the other guys makes makes it easier you’ve obviously had a lot of experience defending on the perimeter what you think get this position defense oh my feel like it’s it’s perfect cuz I I’ve been able to guard M position for a

While now so being able to do to do that at the three being able to switch out on guards and even bigger players um it’s it’s efficient what the I mean I know I asked you this a bunch in terms of your progress how you feel like you’re

Getting better I mean you know we’ve talked a lot about the shot I what are some other areas where you feel like you’ve made a lot of um I feel like with film I would say I’ve grown um just watching film being able to dissect it being able to learn from it

Um get better um and just take bits and pieces from other people’s games as well what’s the what you talk about fil are you talking about your own game or you talking about like preparing for somebody um I mean film film is it’s a

Lot I mean I watch my own film I watch other teams film I watch our team’s film um I watch my own personal film like just my minute so right um a little bit of everything just to continue to to grow my basketball mind I would say what

Have you learned from yourself on though like when you watch yourself what have you seen it be like okay like I got to I I got to fix that or this is I can build on it like one of the biggest things you’ve learned about your own game and

Devel about your own game you’re watching I will say not passing up any open shots um and also um staying aggressive and being in the right spots on defense uh you guys are think he said second you and entire um second in the league in like aist combination you know

It’s from him to you I think uh what’s just did that say about just how that connection’s flourished you know over the course of this year um you know it’s a Synergy man I think it’s grown I think we both have mutually been benefit off each other um I think it’s comes from

Playing together and you know time and um just consistency and we just learn one another Tason he’s got a better U you know I think relationship as far as communication and what’s concerned so it’s Miss I want doing a pie on J we talked a little bit about him before uh how how

You seen just him progress especially on the defensive end you know I think he’s when he’s getting in there he’s getting more work at the three and kind of spreading out his game in terms of positions how you’ve seen him you know grow into different spots and and you know Elevate especially on

Skill level’s always been there I think it was just time and opportunity you know I think that he’s uh you know he he did a lot of his stin in the g- league and whatnot and shine down there but he’s finally having a chance to you know

Show it at this level mean his uh his ball skill is something that’s unmatched I think something that he’s uh his vision is something that’s really he’s big for him as well and obviously his a defensive versatility but just him getting those reps are important him

Kind you know get time to step up you know with Doug and B A couple guys out I mean it’s going to be good for him how have you SE get better more solid I guess in the defensive end I mean an issue I guess early was you know him

Talking about gambling a little bit too much and trying to go for Steals and stuff it seems like he’s gotten a lot more steady and keeping guys in front of him you’ve seen a difference yeah for sure he’s more he’s got more discipline I feel like in college you know you can

Get away with a lot of those gambles and stuff like that just cuz um you rely on your instinct um you know from high school but you know this ain’t that level and I think he learned that right away when you gamble you know you you’re hurting the team I’m saying you know

When you try to make those gambl or try to do uncharacteristic things that can lead to um you know bad stuff for us and one thing about the NBA games every possession matters you know when you get to college and high school it’s a little different you can make up for possession

With talent and whatnot but every possession matters in this game and those you know he understands when that’s do first US talked a lot about getting better at starts basically what’s what kind of things has you tried to get you know through in the last couple days of practice and what do you

Guys feel like the issue is there mean it’s the same same group of guys just you know super efficient in the third basically I think if anything you know what our stars is concerns our defense I mean we know we can score but you know defensively where we got to

You just know we got to we got to make us stand defensely more than anything what’s the balance I talked to Aaron about this yesterday as far as you want to be come out and be physical and bring presence defensively but the other issue is you don’t want to get yourself you

Know in foul trouble before you have the sense of how ref’s going to call it and me what’s kind of the balance of you know bringing the exact right amount of presence and not bringing too much and getting yourself out trouble it just changes night in and night out I mean a

Lot of it depends on the officiate crew when you like being a veteran being around the league you start to learn you know who what officials who um you know how certain P call games just like players players that’s SC reports too we kind of the same way you know so just uh

Knowing you know who’s in front of you and then know also defensively just you know you can’t ever take away from your aggression you got to be do the things that makes you yourself now after this game uh coming up tomorrow we’ll officially be past the 80% this season

How would you say this team is better over the course of the Season than say you guys were day one back in October um I think our confidence has grown I think that’s one thing that’s big you I think that uh we were kind of still trying to find ourselves towards

The beginning of the season and then then the tournament was big for us we finally got a chance to show it on like a national level and then we just went through the highs and lows of the season so I think confidence is grown defensively we definitely gotten better

That was that was a goal of ours you know we’re still not the best or where we want to be but we’ve definitely gotten better um from where we started and overall I think this uh our team chemistry our team morale has just grown you know more than anything just being

Around each other more and just uh understanding who we are as people and as basketball players kind of along those lines I know you know everybody on the team is skilled but is there anybody this season that stood out from you that you’re like wow this guy’s really

Improved with this this year and it’s really struck out to you this point of this season um I mean Aaron E Smith I think he’s made the biggest joke you more than anybody just U you not just being just a defensive guy you know he’s a threat uh offensively as well

Something that’s been big for us he’s the first guy that really stands out to me um I think Jaylen Smith’s got a lot better too the S is uh putting a lot of work this summer and um you know was ready to step up um Isaiah 2 I feel like

When his number was called ready every single time he’s not making the same on displine plays he’s making you know a couple years back so those D top of my head with people that I’ve seen that you know a lot of Team success comes a lot of fans living and dying

With every single game so after last couple week you know a lot of people freaking out on the twitters and everything one of those lines what would be your message to them at this point um man at this point of the Season man um you know obviously all these games

Matter and whatnot but you just have to trust and believe in just like what we built and um where we come from and where we are now so um you know I understand you know where Panic might seep in but at the end of the day you

Just have to trust and you know believe that you know we we know what we’re doing and um you know we’ worked hard to get this position and um you know we don’t want to F and last one for you saw the video that you put out of all the

Lego pieces you put together over the season is that right on Pace is that a lot for you a little where you at and which one is your favorite one um I think this year I’ve um um I’ve been in the house a lot more than I have been in

The past I mean I feel like in years past I would like go off for a walk or something or even go to know grocery store something like that but I’ve been real just at the houses here so i’ had a lot more time to you know put you know

Put some stuff together so it’s definitely more than I’ve done in the past but you know nonetheless it was still fun I still uh you know still something that you know I enjoy I mean my favorite one I put together I mean probably like the Hogwarts Castle was

Like 6,000 pieces that was a fun for me me and my girlfriend I put that together um you know with each other so you know was cool go

Rick Carlisle, Jarace Walker and Myles Turner speak to the media following practice on Saturday.

0:00 – Rick Carlisle
2:33 – Jarace Walker
4:44 – Myles Turner