Indiana Pacers exit interview notes: Pacers know that defense must be better next year
The Indiana Pacers held their yearly exit interviews on Monday, and all 17 members of the Pacers roster spoke to reporters over a roughly five-hour period.
The biggest theme that stood out was defense. Essentially every player, as well as head coach Rick Carlisle, stressed the need for the Pacers to improve defensively this offseason if the team wants to take a step forward in 2023-24.
"We must get better defensively," Carlisle said. "In the exit meetings today, [I] talked to everyone about the fact that we're all going to need to take the challenge individually to lift our level," he added.
Indiana finished 26th in defensive rating this season, a slight step up from their 28th placement from two seasons ago yet still mostly atrocious. The Pacers couldn't stop anybody and allowed their opponent to score 130+ points 16 times. They went 2-14 in those games.
Carlisle noted that defensive growth would be "the best way for us to move this thing forward and advance it," when discussing his team, and it's easy to see why. Sure, the group was inexperienced. But they couldn't stop anybody.
It's a large part of why it felt like the Pacers could never separate themselves from any opponents. They were unable to go on massive, game-altering runs. When they did, they were prone to giving one up since they couldn't get stops. The blue and gold only won by double digits nine times in their 35 wins, a low percentage.
It's hard to point to an area of defense that Indiana could consider their strong suit. They were okay in transition, and having Myles Turner as a backstop certainly helps protect the paint. Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith made strides on the interior, too. But most of their success was a result of covering up for the mistakes of others rather than consistent brilliance, and the Pacers defending so many shots around the basket is moreso a problem than a point of strength.
"Individual defense is one thing that we've got to grow. You can have a system defense all you want. But it's a team sport. If one person is lacking here, then the other four are going to have to make up for it," Turner said during his exit interview. He is one of the premier defensive talents in the league, but it was tough for even him to elevate the starting lineup enough to the point where they could get consistent stops.
He was constantly covering for the mistakes of others, and it forced him to cover a ton of ground. But in doing so, someone was then open elsewhere. That snowball effect starts with the first mistake made on the defensive end, and that often came in a one-on-one setting.
"I think one thing that I challenged guys on is being better individual defenders," Turner added.
Even the best defenders on the Pacers could improve in this department. Indiana gave up a ton of drives and easy points as a result of poor closeouts and technique staying in front of ball handlers. If the team wants to take a step forward this coming season, and by all accounts they do, there's a ton of defensive growth that needs to happen.
"Defense is a lot. It's communicating, guarding your yard," guard Buddy Hield said. "It takes a collective group."
Another concern for the Pacers is that their defense falls off a cliff after the All-Star break. In 2021-22, the blue and gold had the 29th ranks defense from the All-Star break to the end of the season. This season, it was 30th — dead last. Injuries, trades, and lineup experimentation play a factor here, but it still should be concerning for the Pacers that down the stretch they can't get stops. If they want to compete, that can't become a trend.
Individual defense is part of the Pacers issues, but their team defensive concepts need to be better, too. Some of the struggles in that department can be attributed to the team having a new look in general. Others can be chalked up to poor ability. Many of the younger Pacers players struggle with awareness and staying engaged away from the play.
That all comes back, in part, to the communication issues that Hield mentioned. The veteran guard could improve in that area himself. But there's more to it, like following the scouting report, staying engaged, and improving positioning and angles. It isn't easy, but it's necessary improvement for the Pacers.
"We just need to be on the same page. Communicate and lock into gameplans," veteran guard T.J. McConnell, one of the team's best defenders, said. "We get the gameplans from Ron [Nored] and the coaching staff and they're good. We get the answers to the test. We have to do a better job of executing it."
Other players, such as Aaron Nesmith, Tyrese Haliburton, and Bennedict Mathurin, also discussed the Pacers' defensive struggles during their exit interviews. It was the premier themes from the team on the day after their season ended, and it will be one of the biggest stories to monitor for the 2023-24 Pacers.
If the team can take a step forward defensively and continue to be potent on offense, they could be in line for a big jump in wins. If the improvements are small or nonexistent, then the Pacers will run in place. There has to be growth.
That could come through internal development and through a talent addition. Either path would work, as would a combination of the two. But the Indiana Pacers must be a better defensive team next season. Otherwise, exit interview day could be sooner than they hope in 2024.
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