The Pacers’ fourth day of training camp brought a little clarity on a few fronts, and the biggest one is still the same: how Ivica Zubac fits into everything around Tyrese Haliburton.
That pairing has been the center of attention since camp opened, and after four practices, Zubac says the early signs are encouraging. He pointed to the way the starting group has already spent most of its time together.
“The starting unit has been together pretty much from day one,” Zubac said. “Probably going to spend most of time on the floor with him. Just being a point guard and a center it’s really important we get that chemistry.”
He also said the fit has gone beyond just Haliburton. Zubac sounded comfortable talking about the way the Pacers play and how naturally it has come to him so far.
“It’s been good, honestly with everyone on the team,” Zubac said. “It’s a team full of smart, high IQ basketball players and everyone knows how to play. Everyone makes quick decisions playing off of each other, so no matter who you put me on the floor with, it’s easy and it’s natural.”
And yes, the pace has been part of the adjustment. Zubac described how quickly possessions can fly by in this system, with the ball moving up the floor before he’s even had time to settle in.
“A lot o the possessions being the center, I’m the low man and I’m getting a rebound or taking the ball out of the net,” Zubac said. “Once I inbound it, they’re already out there and sometimes I don’t even cross half court.
All the movement, every player getting to feel and touch the ball every possession, it’s important. It’s not easy just standing around the whole possession, then you get a last second, shoot the ball, (situation).
So, everyone sharing the ball, catching the ball each possession, it gets you confidence. It’s really exciting.”
Lloyd Pierce, filling in for Rick Carlisle, spent part of his session talking about how the league has changed when it comes to two-way players. His view was pretty direct: those spots aren’t just for long-term projects anymore.
“I think we’re seeing a real shift in trends on the two-way spots,” Pierce said. “In the past the D-League and G-League was used completely for player development. Now you’re seeing a lot of teams get those three two-way spots and you’re getting NBA-experienced guys.”
Pierce also had strong words about Brown and Slawson, saying both have shown enough this summer to be treated like real roster pieces, not developmental fliers.
“When you walk into a gym you don’t look at Kobe and you don’t look at Slaw, you don’t say these are developmental players. These are roster guys that have NBA experience,” Pierce said.
“They add positional size, length and versatility to our roster. We’ve had our hands on them all summer in terms of development and both guys are gonna be needed at some point this season.”
Ben Sheppard’s situation is different, but the message around him was similar: stay ready and keep working. Entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, Sheppard is currently with the third unit and not in the ten-man rotation.
Still, he doesn’t sound rattled. Instead, he framed year four as another chance to do the simple things well and be prepared when his number is called.
“I played a lot of different roles last year, so just staying ready and being a good teammate,” Sheppard said. “Just being the player I am. Being aggressive, being ready whenever my name is called, and taking the best opportunities.”
Asked whether he feels like a veteran now, Sheppard smiled and said he still sees himself as young. Zubac, standing nearby, jumped in with his own assessment: “he’s not a vet, not yet.”
Pierce also mentioned the team’s squad scrimmage, which has become a yearly lead-in to Fan Jam. As usual, the gold team - the starters - came out ahead in practice, while the blue team has typically answered back in front of fans at the event.
That pattern gets another test tomorrow at the sold-out Fan Jam, where the Pacers will find out whether the gold team can finally stop the recent trend.
In Other News...
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Along with the on-court action, the night also leaned into the lighter side of camp, with rookies Braden Smith, Rienk Mast and Keba Keita taking part in a sing-and-dance-off that kept the building buzzing. But for all the fun, the scrimmage still mattered most, because every possession offered fans a glimpse of which players are starting to separate themselves before the real battles of camp settle in. [Read more 🡒]
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Tyrese Haliburton Just Gave Pacers Fans The Sign They Needed
Tyrese Haliburton was right there with the Pacers starters at FanJam, and for a team still carrying the memory of his torn Achilles from June, that alone counted as a meaningful checkpoint. The annual scrimmage gave Indiana fans their first real look at how the group is beginning to come together again, with the new additions around him and the expected starting lineup starting to take shape as preseason and the regular season inch closer in October.
Haliburton said he feels confident in his health and in where he stands heading into the season, which is exactly the kind of update Pacers supporters wanted to hear after months of uncertainty. There is still a long runway before the games matter for real, but his presence with the starters suggested the comeback process is moving in the right direction, and that is a significant sign for a team trying to build around him again. [Read more 🡒]