“I was really sad at the end of this season. I was really touched. For what ? Because this team was really pleasant. I wanted her to play in the playoffs. »
Those words are from Pacers President Kevin Pritchard, for the Indy Star. No doubt he remembers that, on the evening of January 8, his Pacers posted a record of 23 wins for 18 defeats and that they occupied sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
But Tyrese Haliburton’s injury will derail the rest of Indiana’s season. Nevertheless, even with early holidays, this season was not missed. It is even, from a certain angle, a success, symbolized by the selection to the All-Star Game of Tyrese Haliburton but also the extension of the contract of Myles Turner.
“She was very positive, in many ways,” believes Rick Carlisle in the columns of The Athletic. “We have established a style, a culture. We have established the importance of the collective. We won back fans. We know we still have a long way to go, but the season was productive. We know what it is to experience a reconstruction. We have progressed, going from 25 to 35 victories. But we have to be better in defense, it will be the best way forward. »
Building around the Turner-Haliburton duo
The president of the Pacers, even if he wanted to see the team in the playoffs, also slips that he is not “not sure it was the best thing”. Because this team needs to strengthen and it will be able to do so this summer. With the Draft in particular, but not directly.
“We have three first draft rounds, and maybe two second rounds depending on the lottery”, says Kevin Pritchard. “So I don’t want to add five young people to this group. We are already taking care of enough young people. »
Transfers are therefore to be expected. The franchise will also have $25 million to spend this summer. With this 2022/2023 season as a base, we can imagine that, with a little reinforcement and Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner spared from injury, the Pacers will be able to aim for the “play-in” and the playoffs next season.
“I am optimistic about our future”declares, in conclusion, the president of the franchise.
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Tyrese Haliburton | 56 | 33.6 | 49.0 | 40.0 | 87.1 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 10.4 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 20.7 |
| Myles Turner | 62 | 29.4 | 54.8 | 37.3 | 78.3 | 1.4 | 6.1 | 7.5 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 18.0 |
| Buddy Hield | 80 | 31.0 | 45.8 | 42.5 | 82.2 | 0.8 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 16.8 |
| Bennedict Mathurin | 78 | 28.5 | 43.4 | 32.3 | 82.8 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 16.7 |
| Jordan Nwora | 24 | 24.6 | 47.6 | 42.2 | 72.1 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 13.0 |
| Aaron Nesmith | 73 | 24.9 | 42.7 | 36.6 | 83.8 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 3.2 | 10.1 |
| Andrew Nembhard | 75 | 27.6 | 44.1 | 35.0 | 79.0 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 2.4 | 9.5 |
| Jalen Smith | 68 | 18.8 | 47.6 | 28.3 | 75.9 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 5.8 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 9.4 |
| Tj McConnell | 75 | 20.4 | 54.3 | 44.1 | 85.3 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 5.3 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 8.7 |
| Gabe York | 3 | 18.6 | 38.1 | 33.3 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 8.0 |
| Chris Duarte | 46 | 19.5 | 36.9 | 31.6 | 84.7 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 7.9 |
| isaiah jackson | 63 | 16.5 | 56.3 | 14.3 | 65.1 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 7.2 |
| Daniel Theis | 7 | 15.5 | 47.7 | 18.2 | 41.7 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 7.0 |
| Oshae Brissett | 65 | 16.7 | 38.6 | 31.0 | 71.7 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 6.1 |
| george hill | 11 | 15.1 | 55.9 | 52.4 | 88.9 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 5.2 |
| Goga Bitadze | 21 | 9.6 | 51.9 | 28.6 | 45.8 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 3.3 |
| Trevelin Queen | 7 | 10.0 | 24.1 | 13.3 | 100.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 3.0 |
| James Johnson | 18 | 9.0 | 44.9 | 20.0 | 50.0 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.8 |
| Terry Taylor | 26 | 8.8 | 46.2 | 22.2 | 71.4 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 2.7 |
| Kendall Brown | 6 | 6.7 | 57.1 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
