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Pacers Notes: Jackson, Carlisle, Brogdon, Sabonis

September 30th, 2021 at 8:59pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pacers traded up in the draft to take rookie big man Isaiah Jackson, viewing him as an elite athlete and rim protector, writes Akeem Glaspie of the Indianapolis Star. Jackson, 19, has a 7’5″ wingspan and head coach Rick Carlisle believes he will eventually be able to guard every position on the court.

“His defensive versatility is absolutely breathtaking,” Carlisle said. “I just have not seen a guy, move, block shots, change shots, be able to guard in any position the way I’ve seen him be able to do it.”

President of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard was effusive in his praise as well, noting that although Jackson had no practice time for Summer League, he had an outsized impact, tying a Summer League record with seven blocks in his final game.

“I’m not trying to compare him to Paul George right now but as a pure athlete he does some things that I’ve not seen in the gym in a long time,” Pritchard said. “He is a fast-twitch athlete. He’s at the rim all the time and I don’t know if it was fair the way we looked at him. I thought he played great this summer, but when you look at how it came to play, I mean it was like no practice — in the games — and I don’t know if we saw the full Isaiah Jackson, but we have really high hopes for him. I think he’s got super talent, he’s a good worker, and I think sky’s the limit for him. We got a diamond in the rough there.”

Here’s more on the Pacers:

  • Guard Malcolm Brogdon is focused on developing as a leader entering his third season with the team, writes Brendan Rourke of Pacers.com. Brogdon says that the team’s leadership void was obvious last season, and he’s taking it upon himself to step up. He hosted a team-bonding trip in Los Angeles in August, playing pick-up games and holding team dinners, in order to build team chemistry.
  • Back-to-back All-Star Domantas Sabonis is hoping to improve his three-point shot, writes Wheat Hotchkiss of Pacers.com. Hotchkiss notes that Carlisle has implemented more five-out sets in training camp, which were effective in his time in Dallas, and believes that having big men space the floor helps everyone offensively.
  • Be sure to check out our Pacers team page for more updates out of Indiana.
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Sixers Notes: Embiid, Simmons, Niang, Milton

September 30th, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked on Thursday about recent reports that stated Ben Simmons wants an offense built around him and doesn’t want to play with Joel Embiid anymore, the Sixers‘ star center was anything but evasive. Embiid provided reporters with a four-minute response, pushing back against the idea that the team has built its offense around him and neglected Simmons’ needs.

“I feel like our teams have been built, whether it’s the shooting needed or stretch five and all that stuff, I feel like he’s always had it here,” Embiid said, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. “And we still have it. Seth (Curry), one of the best three point shooters ever. Danny Green, Tobias (Harris) is a 40 percent three point shooter. Furkan (Korkmaz) coming off of the bench. At times Shake (Milton), I think he can be a better shooter, but you know, he can get hot. We just added Georges (Niang). So I feel like, our teams have always been built around his needs.

“It was kind of surprising to see. We’ll say that, even going back to, I mean, the reason we signed Al (Horford). We got rid of Jimmy (Butler), which I still think it was a mistake, just to make sure he needed the ball in his hands, and that’s the decision they made. Like I said, it is surprising.”

Embiid went on to say the situation was “disappointing” and “borderline disrespectful” to the players on the 76ers’ roster whose spots aren’t as secure as Embiid’s or Simmons’.

“Some guys rely on the team being successful to stay in the league and make money somehow,” Embiid said. “Because if you’re on a winning team, you’re always going to have a spot in the league, just because you’re on a winning team and you contributed.”

Embiid did stress that the Sixers are a much better team with Simmons than without him, adding that he hopes his All-Star teammate chooses to end his holdout and report to the club. However, if Simmons was unmoved by Embiid’s more conciliatory comments on Media Day, it’s unlikely that he’ll be swayed by the big man’s more combative response today.

Here’s more out of Philadelphia:

  • ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) took a deep dive into the Simmons situation to try to identify the teams that could use the three-time All-Star and have the right combination of players, contracts, and draft assets to make a viable offer for him. Marks names the Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Pacers, Timberwolves, Spurs, and Raptors as the six clubs that check all the boxes.
  • Without Simmons in their starting lineup, the Sixers will likely sacrifice some size and will be without their top perimeter defender. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer explores the ripple effect of Simmons’ absence, noting that the team is considering experimenting with a big starting lineup that includes Georges Niang. “There’s options there,” head coach Doc Rivers said. “We don’t know if any of them work yet.”
  • Since Tyrese Maxey is expected to be part of the Sixers’ regular starting lineup, Shake Milton will be tasked with leading the second unit, writes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. Rivers is pleased with what he’s seen from Milton so far in that role. “You can tell he’s put a lot of work in at that position,” the head coach said. “Last year, honestly, he came into the year and had no idea that he’d be a point guard.”
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Caris LeVert Dealing With Stress Fracture In Back

September 28th, 2021 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

Pacers guard Caris LeVert has a stress fracture in his back, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). However, according to Wojnarowski, the team is relatively optimistic about LeVert’s prognosis, viewing the injury as a “minor” setback and believing that he could still be ready to return around the start of the regular season.

There will be more testing to come on the injury, Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter).

LeVert, 27, has dealt with multiple serious health issues since entering the NBA in 2016. He broke his leg in gruesome fashion near the start of the 2018/19 season, then had surgery earlier this year to treat renal cell carcinoma of his left kidney.

When he got healthy and debuted for the Pacers last season, LeVert made a strong first impression, averaging 20.7 PPG and 4.9 APG in 35 games (32.9 MPG). The team had been hoping the former first-round pick would be 100% healthy entering his first full season in Indiana, but it looks like his status for opening night is up in the air.

The Pacers have been dealt some of the worst injury luck to open the 2021/22 league year. Edmond Sumner sustained a torn Achilles tendon that will likely sideline him for the entire season, while T.J. Warren‘s recovery from a foot injury is progressing slower than expected and he has been ruled out indefinitely.

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Arena Renamed Gainbridge Fieldhouse

September 27th, 2021 at 7:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Pacers coach Rick Carlisle hopes T.J. Warren can make a swift recovery from the stress fracture in the navicular bone in his left foot, Akeem Glaspie of the Indianapolis Star reports. “Hopefully, it’ll be weeks and not months, that’s the hope,” Carlisle said. “It’s important for him to keep a very upbeat view of things. The healing process with people is always better and more aggressive when you have a great attitude about it and he has.” Warren has not suffered any setbacks but the location of the injury makes for a tricky rehab, Glaspie adds.
  • The Pacers’ arena has officially been renamed Gainbridge Fieldhouse, according to a team press release. It’s a multi-year partnership, replacing the former name Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Gainbridge, a Group 1001 company, is a self-managed digital platform providing clients with direct access to financial products to grow their savings.
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2021/22 NBA Over/Unders: Central Division

September 17th, 2021 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2021/22 NBA regular season will get underway next month, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to resume an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2020/21, our voters went 17-13 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’21/22?

As a reminder, the NBA played a 72-game schedule in 2020/21, so a team that won 41 games last year finished with a 41-31 record. This year, a club that wins 41 games would be a .500 team (41-41). For added clarity, we’ve noted the record that each team would have to achieve to finish “over” its projected win total.

We’ll turn today to the Central division…

Milwaukee Bucks

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Bucks poll.

Indiana Pacers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pacers poll.

Chicago Bulls

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Bulls poll.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Cavaliers poll.

Detroit Pistons

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pistons poll.

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Brooklyn Nets (55.5 wins): Over (63.2%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (51.5 wins): Under (70.0%)
  • Boston Celtics (46.5 wins): Over (58.1%)
  • New York Knicks (42.5 wins): Over (65.1%)
  • Toronto Raptors (36.5 wins): Under (50.6%)

Northwest:

  • Utah Jazz (52.5 wins): Over (61.7%)
  • Denver Nuggets (48.5 wins): Over (69.3%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (44.5 wins): Over (53.0%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (34.5 wins): Under (57.1%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (23.5 wins): Under (65.0%)
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Pacers Apply For Disabled Player Exception After Sumner Injury

September 16th, 2021 at 2:43pm CST by Rory Maher

Due to the torn Achilles tendon that Edmond Sumner recently suffered, the Pacers have applied for a disabled player exception, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. The disabled player exception gives over-the-cap teams another avenue to potentially replace seriously injured players, like Sumner.

There are several caveats to the DPE:

  1. It does not free up a roster spot.
  2. If used, it counts against the salary cap.
  3. The injured player must be deemed by an NBA physician to be likely sidelined through June 15 of the league year.
  4. The exception is worth 50% of the injured player’s salary (or the amount of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, whichever is lesser). Sumner is due to make $2.32MM in 2021/22, so the DPE, if granted, would be worth $1.16MM for the Pacers.

Considering the typical recovery time of a torn Achilles is 12 months or more (Kevin Durant, for example, didn’t play an NBA game for 18 months after suffering a torn Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals), it’s fairly safe to say that Indiana will be granted the DPE.

However, there’s a good chance it won’t be used. The Pacers are currently about $763K under the luxury tax threshold, so using the potential $1.16MM disabled player exception would put them over the line, which they would certainly like to avoid. Additionally, outside of rookie minimum deals or prorated minimum-salary contracts, there aren’t many salaries that would actually fit within such a small DPE.

However, there’s no cost to apply for a DPE and no penalty for not using it, so the Pacers’ request makes sense. If granted, the exception will give Indiana a tool to potentially sign, trade, or claim a player off waivers, increasing the team’s roster flexibility going forward.

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Central Notes: LaVine, Sumner, Pistons, Bucks

September 14th, 2021 at 7:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine is not worried about how he will mesh alongside new starting small forward DeMar DeRozan, per Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Both players to this point have been primary scorers for their respective clubs.

“I don’t get that at all, because that’s just outside narratives,” LaVine said of the on-court collaboration with his pricey new Bulls teammate. “It’s our job to get out there and get to know each other, obviously personally and as a basketball player. It’s easy to make things work on the basketball court if you all have the same intent, and that’s winning.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • After recently tearing his left Achilles tendon during an offseason workout, 25-year-old Pacers guard Edmond Sumner underwent a successful surgery to repair the ligament, per a team press release. Drafted with the No. 52 pick out of Xavier by Indiana in 2017, Sumner has developed into a helpful reserve in his first four NBA seasons thus far. In 53 games played during the 2019/20 season, Sumner averaged 7.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 0.9 APG across 16.2 MPG. He posted a shooting line of .525/.398/.819.
  • The Pistons could stand to benefit from adding a third center with their available guaranteed roster spot, writes Rod Beard of the Detroit Free Press. The club signed Kelly Olynyk in free agency this summer, and are hopeful that second-year big man Isaiah Stewart, an All-Rookie Second Teamer, can continue to develop. Beard notes that it makes sense for Detroit to keep its 15th roster spot open through training camp, in case another veteran center becomes available elsewhere in the NBA.
  • Bucks shooting guards Donte DiVincenzo and Grayson Allen, both set to be restricted free agents in 2022, could net contract extensions by October 18 this season. Eric Nehm of The Athletic posits that, judging by the contracts meted out to similar-caliber players during the 2021 offseason, DiVincenzo could earn a multiyear contract worth $50MM or more, though Nehm wonders if the Bucks will be cautious to extend him before seeing how he plays on the hardwood. DiVincenzo injured a tendon in his left foot suffered during the 2021 playoffs. Nehm views the newly-added Allen as something of a contingency plan for DiVincenzo.
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Sumner Takes Positive Approach To Adversity

September 10th, 2021 at 8:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder
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Amida Brimah To Play In Puerto Rico

September 10th, 2021 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

After being waived by the Pacers last month, Amida Brimah will resume his playing career in Puerto Rico, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, who reports (via Twitter) that the big man has signed with Mets de Guaynabo.

Brimah, 27, was in training camp with the Pacers last fall, then signed a two-way deal with the team in April. He appeared in five NBA games for Indiana down the stretch, recording 2.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in just 5.8 minutes per contest. He also played in 10 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants during the G League season and put up 8.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 2.6 BPG for the club in 23.5 MPG.

Although Brimah’s two-way contract covered the 2021/22 season as well, the Pacers didn’t plan on bringing him back for another year, opting to use their two-way contract slots on undrafted rookies Duane Washington and DeJon Jarreau. As a result, Brimah was cut in August when the club signed Jarreau.

This won’t be Brimah’s first time playing outside of the NBA or the G League. The former UConn center was briefly a member of KK Partizan in Serbia in 2018.

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Carlisle Ranks As Biggest Upgrade

September 9th, 2021 at 7:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • The biggest upgrade the Pacers made this offseason was on the sidelines, Zach Harper of The Athletic opines. While the front office acquired a couple of potentially important role players, the key move was hiring Rick Carlisle for a second stint as their head coach. Carlisle replaces Nate Bjorkgren, who quickly fell out of favor with the team’s players and even his staff, Harper adds.
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