The Pacers got back to work in Indianapolis on Thursday after their first preseason game in Ames, Iowa, and the focus quickly shifted to what comes next: Atlanta on Friday night, more reps for the new pieces, and one more check on Larry Nance Jr.’s status.
Rick Carlisle spent part of the day talking through Tyrese Haliburton’s return, while Jarace Walker reflected on his play against the Timberwolves and Ivica Zubac broke down what it’s been like getting run with the starting group. The biggest on-court note, though, was that Nance practiced and could be available against the Hawks.
“Nance practiced today, so I think there's a chance that he'll be available tomorrow,” Carlisle said.
For Zubac, Wednesday night was the first real game setting he’d shared with Haliburton and Pascal Siakam after not getting that chance last season. He said the live action helped him start figuring out how everything fits together.
“You can practice as much as you want, but game reps are always going to be different. And just getting on the floor for the first time with him, with P, with the whole starting unit.
It felt good,” Zubac said. “Just to see what looks we're going to get out there, how team's (are) going to guard us, getting used to our offense, and finding myself where to be in some situations.
So it was pretty good.”
The learning curve, he said, comes with the pace. This offense moves fast, and that means Zubac has to adjust in real time - especially when Haliburton is pushing off rebounds.
“There was one situation where I missed him. I threw it to Shepp and Shepp was not looking and the ball went out of bounds,” Zubac said.
“It's going to be a lot of opportunities like that. A lot of times there's no sets.
He's just running, throwing the ball ahead. So, there's no sets and I got to get used to that random style.
Just playing random basketball.”
He also talked about the screen game, saying there are small details he can clean up as he keeps building chemistry with Haliburton.
“Learning how he likes his screens. I feel like sometimes I held it too long and he was waiting for me to roll and I was still holding the screen,” Zubac said.
“I think I can do a better job kind of just hitting a guy and getting out sooner than holding it. "But, we talked about it after the game today and it's going to work out really good.”
Haliburton, in his return to NBA action, said the speed of the game was the biggest challenge. Carlisle agreed that’s part of the process after injury, but he liked what he saw overall.
“Well, return to play, that's one of the challenges is that things do move quickly,” Carlisle said. “But, I thought all in all he did great.”
Carlisle also said the Haliburton-Zubac pairing is still a work in progress, though he sees plenty of good signs.
“Yeah, there were a lot of positives and there are a lot of adjustments that we'll need to continue to look at with everybody,” Carlisle said. “Not just the first group, we have some significant new personnel.”
Walker’s night against Minnesota came down to keeping things simple. He said the ball security and the flow around him made the difference.
“I feel like the key was just taking care of the ball,” Walker said. “Not a lot of turnovers, easy passes, simple reads, guys were making shots.
I feel like I was efficient. Just moving the ball and getting my teammates involved.”
His biggest highlight came on the self alley-oop off the backboard that led to a Huff dunk, but Walker said it wasn’t planned.
“I had no plan, dog. I just threw it off and then he stepped over, just made a play,” Walker said.
“Just instincts took over. Guy flew by, nobody (was) really open so I just made a play.”
Now the Pacers turn to a different kind of preseason test against the Hawks, a scrappier opponent that should offer another look at where this group stands before the regular season.
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Tyrese Haliburtons Return Just Hit An Early Pacers Concern
Tyrese Haliburtons long-awaited return to NBA preseason action had the look of an important checkpoint for the Pacers, especially after he had been sidelined for nearly 16 months. The excitement in Indianapolis was easy to understand, with Haliburton back on the floor and the team trying to ease him into game action as it builds toward the regular season.
But the first step back came with a scare when Haliburton picked up a mild right ankle injury, enough for Rick Carlisle to rule him out of the upcoming preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks. The encouraging part for Indiana is that MRI results did not show any serious issue, including anything involving the Achilles, and the team is hoping he can get back to practice Monday and move toward playing again soon. [Read more 🡒]
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Tyrese Haliburton and Trae Young remain the obvious headliners, a pair of playmakers who can turn a loose possession into a track meet in a hurry. The Hawks also have reworked their perimeter mix, giving this game some extra defensive intrigue around how Indiana handles pressure on the outside and whether its usual pace can hold up against a group built to make life harder on the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Haliburton And Zubac Could Decide Indianas New Offensive Ceiling
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What makes that fit so interesting is that it is not just about talent, but about whether the two can meet in the middle stylistically. Haliburton has long been at his best when the ball is moving and the floor is open, while Zubac brings a more traditional interior presence, and Indianas next offensive jump may depend on how smoothly those instincts mesh once the games start to matter again. [Read more 🡒]