Over the summer, any discussion about what the Pacers needed to improve upon to take the next step after a successful season started and ended with the word "defense." Despite a rocky start, it appears the squeaky wheel has received the needed grease because the Pacers have quietly been one of the best defensive units in the league over the past few weeks.
Certainly, the emergence of Andrew Nembhard as an elite perimeter stopper has been key to the improvement. But we've also seen players like Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker take pride in their defensive assignments. With Aaron Nesmith back in the fold, the Pacers now have a plethora of wing defenders, something they sorely lacked a season ago.
How the minutes get distributed is going to be an ongoing debate for the rest of the season (health permitting). For now, Carlisle isn't tipping his hand as to what he plans to do.
So just to wrap that all in a bow, Carlisle not saying anything about how he's going to handle minutes going forward with Nesmith back and effectively 11 guys in the rotation, but says he'll make it work. Communication will be key. Said it's a good problem to have.
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) January 18, 2025
Against Philly, the Pacers will face an injured team riding a four game losing streak. According to Head Coach Nick Nurse, the team is in "survival mode."
Nurse on the injuries: "We've been on survival mode and doing the best we can with who's available. That's been the story of the first half of the season."
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) January 18, 2025
While that should give us hope that the Pacers can stack another win tonight, we fans know all too well the dangers of overlooking an opponent in survival mode. Despite their struggles, Philly is still a capable defensive squad who can generate turnovers.
It would be a shame if the Pacers came out unfocused and let a feeble Sixers squad hang around due to sloppy play. Hopefully the competition for minutes makes everyone a bit sharper and we see them handle Philly from start to finish.
Injuries
The Pacers have a clean injury report other than the guys who are out for the year.
Philly, on the other hand, has issues with Embiid out and Paul George questionable.
Nick Nurse says there's no update on Paul George and Guerschon Yabusele, who are listed as questionable. Said they'll go through their warm-ups and they'll make decisions after that.
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) January 18, 2025
How to Watch
Tipoff is at 7:00 PM ET.
TV: FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
See ya in the comments!
Subscribe to our email newsletter and unlock access to members-only content and exclusive updates.
Comments