Indiana Pacers exit interviews: Oshae Brissett has seen two eras of Pacers basketball. He knows the team's culture is right.
When the Indiana Pacers signed Oshae Brissett to a three-year deal, they were happy that he could help out their forward rotation. That was back in 2020-21 when the Pacers were a play-in team that was desperate for wing depth. Brissett came in, shot the lights out, and became a starter for the team down the stretch of that season — including both play-in games.
Back then, the Pacers rotation was highlighted by Macolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Caris LeVert. But that era of the team fell apart and went through numerous changes in the next few months, and three of those four players were dealt.
Brissett, along with Turner, remain. Brissett has seen the blue and gold transition from one era to the next. But part of what made him valuable was his fit with both groups. With the old iteration of the Pacers, he was a needed glue guy and depth piece. With the newer group, he still did those things, but he also had a more impactful role and was closer with his younger teammates.
The way Brissett always champions his teammates is notable and impressive. He's gotten a handful of Did Not Plays over the past two seasons, but he took them in stride and tried to provide a mental boost from the bench. He is always one smile away.
It helps that he's talented, too. He's a heady cutter, attentive team defender, and good transition player. There's a reason he's played over 2,500 minutes for Indiana in the last few seasons and why he stayed from one era to the next.
That's why Brissett is well equipped to describe the Pacers direction. He has seen this current group built from the group up.
"We're going in the right direction man. This team is well gelled together, and I think that it's going to take us very far," he said at his exit interview last month. He just wrapped up his fourth NBA season.
"I feel like the vibe here and the love that everyone has for each other is something that's hard to find," he added, noting that it will only get better as time passes.
The Pacers were a tight-knit roster this season. They were all close in age and had similar interests, which made interactions easy. They also had the right veterans to bring the group together for bonding experiences. As veteran James Johnson said during the season, nobody fake liked anyone else. They all had real, genuine relationships.
Brissett noticed that, too. He was a part of it and was close with several members of the roster. "Everyone's able to really vibe together. Love being around each other, love playing for each other and playing with each other," he said.
The 'playing with each other' joy was obvious. The Pacers played an upbeat style and got everyone involved with passing. They ran, shared the ball, and played randomly. They were hard to scout and difficult to slow down.
On some nights, they looked frenetic. Most nights, they looked like they had a plan, and an identity. Establishing that was important in the team's first full season of a rebuild.
Brissett was a part of the roster pre rebuild, and that group didn't have much of an identity. They had several talented players that could win them games, but it was rarely clear on a day-to-day basis how the old iteration of the Pacers wanted to create advantages or what their strengths were. It's a big part of why they struggled and couldn't reach their potential.
Now, though, it's very clear that the Pacers want to run in transition and be one of the fastest teams in the league. Brissett fits right into that style, and he noticed how much it helped the unit.
"We know exactly who we are as a team," he said.
Brissett averaged 1.03 points per possession in transition this season. He is capable of running with the Pacers and fits well with what the team does best. That, combined with his defensive talent, is why Indiana had a positive net rating — +1.54 — when Brissett was on the court. That number dipped to -4.69 when he sat.
That's also why the 24-year old was happy with his season. His free agency will be fascinating this summer because of Indiana's roster spot conundrum, but he at least proved, once again, that he is a quality NBA player who can fit with any group.
Brissett averaged 6.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game this season. Most importantly, he proved that he can fit with two different play styles and roster builds, which bodes well for his future regardless of what team he is on. He's seen the Pacers grow in the last three seasons and knows the franchise is heading in a positive direction.
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