3 reasons the Indiana Pacers will return to the playoffs
By Luke Parrish
Rick Carlisle is back with the Indiana Pacers
In 19 seasons as a head coach, Carlisle has only missed the playoffs five times, including a three-year drought from 2016-2019 with the Dallas Mavericks. Aside from that, Carlisle has been a very good regular season head coach with some playoff success as well.
In four seasons with Indiana from 2003-2007, Carlisle made the playoffs three times and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in his first season. It is reasonable to expect that he can turn things around for Indiana after the turmoil that ensued last season.
Carlisle’s reputation with Indiana took a bit of a hit in 2004 with the Malice at the Palace, which left a once-promising Pacers organization in the mud. Now, he returns with a chance to change his legacy and get the Pacers back on track.
He has been spotted working out with Myles Turner this summer, perhaps signaling that the Pacers will keep a two-big lineup and see if Carlisle is the coach that can make it work. Turner has continued to put in the work despite being a constant in the rumor mill for another full offseason.
It’s no secret that the Pacers have the roster to make some noise. Losing McDermott will have its drawbacks but they were able to replace him with a well-rounded rookie while also retaining T.J. McConnell to be the backup point guard.
Head coach Rick Carlisle has a lot on his shoulders but the front office gave him a very luxurious contract, another signal that the Pacers believe they are ready to compete. They want to get the right head coach that can help the team win right now.