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Tim Reynolds: Want to hear something wild? Will Hardy now has the seventh-longest active tenure among all NBA coaches, after Jason Kidd's ouster in Dallas. Erik Spoelstra, Steve Kerr, Tyronn Lue, Mark Daigneault, Chris Finch, Rick Carlisle ... and then Will Hardy.
As well as getting Haliburton back healthy, what do the Pacers need to do in the offseason in order to get back to the NBA Finals? Metta World Peace: Haliburton returning is going to be a massive help, obviously. Outside of that, I don’t think they need much more because they have Coach Rick Carlisle. Coach Carlisle is really good at getting the best out of what he has. In fact, he’s one of the best at this. You saw that during the team’s run to the NBA Finals last season. On paper, I don’t think they were a team that was capable of going as far as they did. But Carlisle got the best out of them, and he can spot holes in other teams. Look at what he did against the Oklahoma City Thunder compared to how other teams have played against them. They pushed them all the way to Game 7. You definitely need Haliburton back, though. You can’t go into a season without a player like him. Once he is back, you have him and Coach Carlisle. You’re going to be good.
Dustin Dopriak: Rick Carlisle: "Proud of them. Dale Davis was here tonight. Brought him into the locker room. ... A guy who would have coveted playing in a game like this in a game against Detroit."
Dustin Dopirak: Rick Carlisle on benefits of the season being what it was: "We know what we got and so do other teams. There's going to be an interest in a lot of our players. Not that we're looking to move any of them."
Tony East: Jarace Walker is out tonight, Rick Carlisle says. Pacers will have nine guys available.
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NBA Stat: Players with the best winning percentage in the regular season is dominated by (minimum 164 games = two full seasons)… 𝟳𝟲.𝟮% — Cason Wallace ⏳ 𝟳𝟲.𝟬% — Chet Holmgren ⏳ 𝟳𝟰.𝟬% — Magic Johnson 𝟳𝟯.𝟵% — Rick Carlisle 𝟳𝟯.𝟲% — Larry Bird 𝟳𝟯.𝟱% — Festus Ezeli 𝟳𝟯.𝟭% — K.C. Jones
Donovan is widely liked and respected in the NBA, both for his character and his qualities as a coach. He might not reach the elite caliber of coaches like Eric Spoelstra or Rick Carlisle, but Donovan is considered to be a solid tactician and indispensable locker-room leader who aids greatly in the development of young talent. A great statistic that backs up this reputation: The Bulls averaged the third-most points off ATO (after timeout) plays this season, ranking only behind the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers. This is a small subset of playcalling in the scope of a full NBA game, but it reflects how well Donovan can construct options that benefit his players. But that doesn’t mean the Bulls are correct to prioritize Donovan in this process — or that they actually will do so once he makes his decision. Donovan, for his part, said Thursday that he believed Reinsdorf’s comments mostly reflected the mutual respect shared between the coach and ownership. He did not expect the team to prioritize his perspective in the final decision making regarding a new executive hire.
Alex Golden: Rick Carlisle will not be with the team the next two games and Loyd Pierce will be acting as Pacers head coach. Rick will be with his daughter Abby for a school event. Said Herb Simon and Kevin Pritchard gave him permission to do so.
There will be challenges next season getting Haliburton back up to speed, but prior to the shingles diagnosis, he had been hitting all of his physical markers as he continued his rehab. A little more darkness before the return to the light. “Coming into this, it was daunting,” Rick Carlisle said. “We were 1-13 to start the season. Very difficult. How do you maintain consistency with that? The answer is, you just do. We had seven hardship deals that we had signed with players, many of whom were in and out in very short periods of time. … My thing was we’re going to be unbending, and we’re going to continue to work toward the ultimate goal, which is to win a championship.
Tony East: "Going through this, you learn a lot of things. Nothing can be taken for granted. The opportunity to win games is a real privilege," Rick Carlisle says after the Pacers broke their home losing streak. "It's been challenging at times when we've had these streaks that have been tough."
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Tony East: Andrew Nembhard's knee got bumped during the game today, Rick Carlisle said. They'll know more about the extent of the injury tomorrow.
Tony East: "Benn (Mathurin)'s found a home there. He's playing great," Rick Carlisle said. He thought the reception to him and Isaiah Jackson was heartwarming. "We just weren't going to be able to make it work with Benn contractually," he adds. A big note at the end.
Dustin Dopirak: Rick Carlisle on Ron Nored: "It was great. ... This is one of their own coming home. Ron was tremendous. He's a dynamic young man. He'll do great work there. He looks like he can still out there and pickup full court and get into guys."
Tony East: Rick Carlisle thinks that Obi Toppin will be available tonight vs the Clippers.