Rick Carlisle Has Two Word Response to Pacers Major Rotation Change

The head coach gave a short reply when asked about a major change to the rotation in Game 3.

Apr 25, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle yells out to his team during game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers were not able to keep up their strong play in Game 3. They fell to the Bucks, losing their first game of the series. There will be no sweep, and the Pacers have to make some adjustments.

In Game 3, they made an adjustment to the rotation that was noteworthy. Instead of giving Jarace Walker minutes with the second unit as had been the case in the first two games, Ben Sheppard got those minutes.

Sheppard missed the last few games of the regular season due to a toe injury. He also had not been playing very well.

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Walker only got minutes when Carlisle decided to put in the bench warmers when the game was over. Walker played well in Game 1, but had a rough Game 2.

When asked about the change in rotation after the game, Carlisle gave a short response.

It's interesting that Carlisle made this decision despite the fact that Walker has played very well over the last month. His length and ability to get deflections has been key for the Pacers.

In contrast, Sheppard struggled mightily down the stretch of the regular season. In his last ten games, he shot just 27 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

The reason why Sheppard gets minutes is because he is a good defender, and he can make threes. If he isn't making wide-open threes, then he can't be out there.

In Game 3, Sheppard was just 1-4 from the field. He missed another wide-open three and played pretty solid defense. Still, the offense may not have been good enough to warrant playing time over Walker.

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The Pacers' offense cratered in the second half of Game 3. They scored just 34 points in the second half, which killed any chance they had of winning this game.

They needed the second unit to give them something offensively, but they gave them only 26 points. Indiana has to figure out some adjustments to make sure their offense isn't as bad in Game 4.

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