Indiana Pacers: The case for and against reuniting with Rick Carlisle

Should the Indiana Pacers pursue Rick Carlisle

The Indiana Pacers are itching to find ways to get out of their prototypical “playoff pest” branding. Being an honorary postseason participant without a title to boast is a legitimate sign that the franchise needs some boisterous moves to get a similarly boisterous answer.

Rick Carlisle is not the best human manager or the best developmental coach. He’s also suspect to not building a clear line of command in his previous stops, allowing other members of the front office and even the ownership to dip their fingers too much in decisions he should be making at large. Aside from his title run, he hasn’t had much playoffs success in his career. Despite all that, the Pacers should pursue him.

In the NBA, weaknesses are more rooted to context than strengths are. He’s not a culture setter because he inherited a team of veterans before transitioning to an up-and-coming squad. Dallas’ line of command is hazy because their owner is very much at the crux of basketball decisions. he hasn’t had much playoff success because, well, it’s the Western Conference and his recent teams don’t have much around Doncic.

More than the familiarity and whatever residual sentimentality there is, Rick Carlisle easily brings a steady breath of winning and on-court flexibility for the Indiana Pacers. While the team is aiming to develop on the way, the current core is relatively young. The seasoned coach could easily be the outlet which can help the franchise gauge its next series of moves—whether to add more pieces if the group makes big strides or to move on to the future if the group remains flat. But what’s most important is to maximize their current deck—and Carlisle has shown nothing but that in his career.

Ultimately, the Indiana Pacers should do everything they can to snag the prized tactician. They certainly won’t be the favorites, but their confidence in their present roster should be similarly shown in their confidence to advertise the team as an organization that can achieve a whole lot more. Rick Carlisle could be the guy who can lead that vision to fruition.