pacers4ever
10-20-2003, 07:49 PM
Pacing themselves
By Sean Deveney - SportingNews.com
Forgive the Pacers if, midway through October, they're not particularly worried about their recent play. It's only preseason, after all. Indiana's lineup has been banged and bruised, with six key players, including star forward Jermaine O'Neal, nursing injuries. And, in their minds, a slow start followed by a strong finish is much preferred to the arc that last season followed, when the Pacers were 37-15 before bumbling to an 11-19 finish and a first-round playoff ouster.
Still, the team's preseason play should raise a caution flag. The Pacers have a new coach, ex-Pistons benchman Rick Carlisle, who preaches a distinct style of play. He wants to draw out offensive possessions, moving the ball until the team gets a good look, preferably with about 5 seconds remaining on the shot clock. He wants everyone back on defense after the shot goes up, offensive rebounds be damned. He wants tough one-on-one defense. He likes the idea of building a team, he says, "from the defense outward."
There's a significant gap, though, between what Carlisle wants from his team and what it has been giving him. They're milking the clock, but they're not getting good shots. That's not of concern to Carlisle-the offense will come, especially once O'Neal's iffy back settles down. What concerns the coach most is defense, upon which Carlisle fashioned his reputation during his two years in Detroit. Carlisle emphasizes transition defense, accountability and shutting down opponents in the first and third quarters. So far, this group of Pacers doesn't seem interested in any of the above.
"Defensive intensity is holding us back right now," Carlisle says. "I want us to get that back. If we don't get back and defend, we are going to give up 100 points. Our team can't win giving up those numbers. It's one thing if you think you are doing your best, playing at as high a level as you can. But right now, I know that defensively we have got to bring it at a higher level."
Defense aside, Carlisle still has some difficult decisions to make. He wants to do something his predecessor, Isiah Thomas, never did, something that was a hallmark of Carlisle's tenure in Detroit: Pick a nine-man rotation and stick with it. That could spell trouble for veterans such as Anthony Johnson and Austin Croshere, who are hoping to lock up playing time. Carlisle also will have to decide what to do at point guard, where third-year starter Jamaal Tinsley could give way to 33-year-old Kenny Anderson, who is a much better shooter than Tinsley.
It does not help that Carlisle walked into a strained situation. O'Neal, who signed a seven-year contract with Indiana in July, was peeved when the Pacers dumped Thomas at the end of August. Playing in Puerto Rico for USA Basketball, O'Neal was visibly upset when talking about Thomas' dismissal and said, "Am I disappointed? Hell yeah." Player and coach insist the situation has been smoothed out, but the reality is, Carlisle was hired just a month before the start of training camp and has not had time to work on player relations. That could hurt him.
"We're still getting to know him," says forward Ron Artest. "He's learning about us, and we're learning about him."
Thanks to injuries, and to the NBA's insistence on jumping into preseason games rather than focusing on practice time, Carlisle has not had time to sell his style to his players. So far, it shows. On back-to-back nights last week, the Pacers consistently were beaten down the floor by the Bulls and the Nuggets and allowed more than 100 points to each.
Good thing it's only October. The Pacers gladly will trade sloppy losses now for a nice, long winning streak in April or May.
By Sean Deveney - SportingNews.com
Forgive the Pacers if, midway through October, they're not particularly worried about their recent play. It's only preseason, after all. Indiana's lineup has been banged and bruised, with six key players, including star forward Jermaine O'Neal, nursing injuries. And, in their minds, a slow start followed by a strong finish is much preferred to the arc that last season followed, when the Pacers were 37-15 before bumbling to an 11-19 finish and a first-round playoff ouster.
Still, the team's preseason play should raise a caution flag. The Pacers have a new coach, ex-Pistons benchman Rick Carlisle, who preaches a distinct style of play. He wants to draw out offensive possessions, moving the ball until the team gets a good look, preferably with about 5 seconds remaining on the shot clock. He wants everyone back on defense after the shot goes up, offensive rebounds be damned. He wants tough one-on-one defense. He likes the idea of building a team, he says, "from the defense outward."
There's a significant gap, though, between what Carlisle wants from his team and what it has been giving him. They're milking the clock, but they're not getting good shots. That's not of concern to Carlisle-the offense will come, especially once O'Neal's iffy back settles down. What concerns the coach most is defense, upon which Carlisle fashioned his reputation during his two years in Detroit. Carlisle emphasizes transition defense, accountability and shutting down opponents in the first and third quarters. So far, this group of Pacers doesn't seem interested in any of the above.
"Defensive intensity is holding us back right now," Carlisle says. "I want us to get that back. If we don't get back and defend, we are going to give up 100 points. Our team can't win giving up those numbers. It's one thing if you think you are doing your best, playing at as high a level as you can. But right now, I know that defensively we have got to bring it at a higher level."
Defense aside, Carlisle still has some difficult decisions to make. He wants to do something his predecessor, Isiah Thomas, never did, something that was a hallmark of Carlisle's tenure in Detroit: Pick a nine-man rotation and stick with it. That could spell trouble for veterans such as Anthony Johnson and Austin Croshere, who are hoping to lock up playing time. Carlisle also will have to decide what to do at point guard, where third-year starter Jamaal Tinsley could give way to 33-year-old Kenny Anderson, who is a much better shooter than Tinsley.
It does not help that Carlisle walked into a strained situation. O'Neal, who signed a seven-year contract with Indiana in July, was peeved when the Pacers dumped Thomas at the end of August. Playing in Puerto Rico for USA Basketball, O'Neal was visibly upset when talking about Thomas' dismissal and said, "Am I disappointed? Hell yeah." Player and coach insist the situation has been smoothed out, but the reality is, Carlisle was hired just a month before the start of training camp and has not had time to work on player relations. That could hurt him.
"We're still getting to know him," says forward Ron Artest. "He's learning about us, and we're learning about him."
Thanks to injuries, and to the NBA's insistence on jumping into preseason games rather than focusing on practice time, Carlisle has not had time to sell his style to his players. So far, it shows. On back-to-back nights last week, the Pacers consistently were beaten down the floor by the Bulls and the Nuggets and allowed more than 100 points to each.
Good thing it's only October. The Pacers gladly will trade sloppy losses now for a nice, long winning streak in April or May.