Indiana Pacers: 4 rotation mistakes Coach Rick Carlisle must avoid

Overextending the bench could derail the Indiana Pacers once more

As I’ve said before, the Indiana Pacers will enter the 2021-22 NBA season bannering one of the league’s deepest cast of reserves. While depth is always a welcome luxury for any head coach, the second-unit should be, as designed, the second line of defense (or offense). Overextending their minutes, as Bjorkgren did last season, may be more harmful than demonstrative of employable depth.

Last season, guys like TJ McConnell and Justin Holiday frequently played in long stretches that usually extended into late fourth quarter situations even when the team’s core players are healthy. While this is tenable when injuries hit the starters, overextending them will not only invite injuries on their part, but also interrupt the rhythm of the team’s key cogs.

Idelly, even the team’s sixth and seventh men should max out in the low 20s with regard to minutes. Except in blowouts, their minutes should only rise beyond their averages if the matchups dictate so or of course, if the proverbial injury bug bites the team for yet another season.