What is powering the Indiana Pacers and their current push through the NBA playoffs?
Surely, the skills of the players have something to do with it, but credit needs to be given to head coach Rick Carlisle as well.
Speaking to the press on Sunday via NBA on X, Tyrese Haliburton talked about Carlisle and the sort of coach he is.
“A savant,” Haliburton said. “When it comes to adjustments and getting the best out of guys, we just follow that lead and his intensity come playoff time is easy to follow. When we have a game like last game, such a letdown, he sets the tone with our energy, practice, film, or whatever.”
Carlisle has been leading the Pacers since the 2021-22 season and has turned them from a team with a lot of promise but little to show for it into one of the most consistent squads in the East.
His work in the playoffs has been particularly impressive, and this might be the second year in a row that Indiana goes all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Carlisle isn’t alone, of course, and he is obviously lucky to have such a great team.
But he has clearly figured out how to get the most out of his players, especially when the odds are stacked against them.
Carlisle has coached multiple teams during his years in the NBA, including the Dallas Mavericks.
In 2011, he drove them all the way to a championship, and the Pacers are hoping he can do the same thing in Indiana.
It remains to be seen if that is possible this year, but this statement from Haliburton confirms that the players working for Carlisle respect him and trust his judgment.
That counts for a lot, especially at this point in the season.
NEXT: Tyrese Haliburton Clears The Air About Playoff Criticism
