Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle finally broke his silence on the NBA's $100K fine for alleged tanking, and he didn’t hold back. On "The Fan Morning Show," Carlisle described the league's investigation as "shocking" and "ridiculous," especially after his team was penalized for resting starters on a back-to-back on February 3rd. He was particularly taken aback by an NBA lawyer questioning whether the team "considered medicating" injured guard Aaron Nesmith.
Now, let’s break down the context. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been vigilant about teams potentially losing games intentionally to boost their draft prospects.
The Pacers, however, have been struggling due to genuine injuries. They lost All-Star Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles tear during the NBA Finals and have been without key players like Obi Toppin, TJ McConnell, and Nesmith, who missed 25 games.
Leading up to the controversial game on February 3rd, the Pacers were 7-7 over four weeks. That’s hardly the mark of a team deliberately losing games.
They narrowly lost to the Houston Rockets on February 2nd, then rested McConnell, Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin the next night, resulting in a loss to a depleted Utah Jazz team. Interestingly, the Jazz faced a $500K fine for similar actions later that week.
Carlisle voiced his disagreement with the NBA’s decision, stating:
"There was a league lawyer who decided that Aaron Nesmith, who was injured and couldn’t even hold the ball, should have played. It seemed absurd.
We offered to have our doctors discuss his condition, but they declined, relying instead on their own doctors who hadn’t examined Nesmith. They even asked if we considered medicating him to play, despite our poor record.
This was truly surprising and my first detailed comment on the situation."
The NBA has faced criticism for allegedly targeting small-market teams over tanking accusations. The Jazz were fined for benching starters during fourth quarters, and now they’re opting for season-ending surgeries for players, which doesn’t breach NBA rules.
The Pacers’ situation might have been exacerbated by the number of players resting, but the NBA hasn’t consistently penalized other teams for similar actions. For instance, the Washington Wizards acquired Trae Young seven weeks ago, yet he hasn’t played due to an MCL injury and quad contusion, despite returning from a knee injury in December. Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings have already shut down Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis for the season.
It seems there’s an uneven application of the rules, particularly with the focus on Nesmith’s injury. The NBA called Carlisle’s account "inaccurate," but the inconsistency remains evident.
Did the Pacers breach the player-participation policy? Possibly.
Yet, it appears they were an easy target amidst the league’s broader concerns about tanking.