How Many Players Should Rick Carlisle Play in the Pacers' Rotation?

The Indiana Pacers are known for building their team with a heavy emphasis on depth.

As of August 2nd, the franchise has 14 players rostered on their 15-man roster and all fourteen players are capable of logging rotation minutes.

That leads us to the biggest question: How many players should Rick Carlisle regularly play?

If you were to guess what the 10-man rotation might look like, it would be similar to this:

Starters: Haliburton, Nembhard, Nesmith, Siakam, Zubac
Bench: McConnell, Oubre Jr., Walker, Toppin, Huff

This leaves Larry Nance Jr., Ben Sheppard, Johnny Furphy and Quenton Jackson outside of the regular rotation and doesn't include the guys on two-way contracts. Furphy is currently recovering from the torn ACL injury he suffered in February against the Raptors but should be back later in the season.

Nance Jr. was brought in to give the Pacers versatility in the frontcourt. He's mostly a small-ball five, but could also play some four. Ben Sheppard has been the 11th man in the Pacers rotation before and has found a way to take advantage of an opportunity and earn a spot in the rotation.

For Jackson, he is probably the least likely to crack into the regular rotation, but if Indiana elects to hold Haliburton out of regular season games this year as part of a scheduled rest regimen then he could easily see minutes throughout the season.

While everyone is capable of playing in the Pacers rotation, narrowing it down to a 10-man rotation would be the best plan of action. The starting five is the group with the most chemistry, but adding in Zubac will be a challenge. Making sure he gets as many reps with that group is essential for developing chemistry.

Mar 13, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (40) shoots the ball while New York Knicks center/forward Mitchell Robinson (23) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the bench unit, Indiana should make a decision between Walker and Sheppard after the preseason and training camp to determine who best fits alongside McConnell, Oubre Jr., and Toppin. Indiana will also need to decide between Huff and Nance Jr., but I'd expect Huff to get the opportunity early on.

Establishing chemistry with both units is what I would prioritize if I were the Pacers. Injuries will occur throughout the season and players who are on the outside of the rotation will get opporitunities, but the front office and coaching staff needs to see what they have in their best first and second units to see what's working and what's not.

Here's what some of our other On SI writers think the Pacers should do with their rotation.

Major Passons

LNJ — Nov 24, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) warms up before a game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When looking at the Pacers current roster there are 12 guys I would consistently roll out during the regular season. Now the other players still should receive minutes depending on matchups and injuries, but there are 12 guys I would rely on nightly for a grueling regular season.

Trying to play anymore than 12 can actually make it harder to find good lineups in my opinion. The Pacers have good depth and they need to use it to ensure their stars are fresh for an Eastern Conference playoff run.

Guys like Larry Nance Jr., Quenton Jackson, Braden Smith, Jalen Slawson, Ethan Thompson and Kobe Brown are probably going to be the ones on the outside looking in.

Ethan Skolnick

Braden Smith (3) drives to the basket in 2025. Smith scored 1,932 points between 2022-26. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In a normal season for the Eastern Conference, it might make sense for the Pacers to do more load managing during the season -- even though they don't have an old roster -- to get to the playoffs as healthy as possible. That might mean lighter minute and even game totals for Pascal Siakam in particular, with Tyrese Haliburton's burden dependent primarily on his recovery. And that might mean going a little deeper than nine at times.

It still might mean that, since the Pacers plan to again play up-tempo, which could see a 10th or 11th man get more time than on a typical team.

But with the East so competitive -- there don't appear to be any easy outs outside of Brooklyn -- Indiana may need to shorten the bench at times in an effort to accumulate more wins. It would seem almost certain that Toppin, McConnell and Oubre will be bench staples, with McConnell getting some occasional nights off due to his more advanced age. Then one big for sure, with either Nance Jr. or Huff getting priority depending on whether athleticism or shooting is needed. That makes it not completely clear what Walker's role will be; he seems to be the 10th man in most circumstances.

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