The Indiana Pacers have developed a reputation as one of the most difficult NBA teams to go up against because of their playstyle.
They play fast and constantly push the tempo offensively. Plus, because of their run-and-gun style, the Pacers are always playing basketball freely, relying more on making quick decisions and good reads than calling set plays in the half-court.
But while Indiana's offense is what mostly sets the team apart, its defensive style is unique as well. The Pacers constantly apply full-court pressure to wear out their opponents and make life difficult for them. It's all about the long game with the Pacers, and their recent success has proven that it works out for them far more than it doesn't.
There are risks involved with playing the game this way. Moving too fast can lead to tiring your own players out too much, and it also makes it difficult to take care of the ball (unless your point guard is Tyrese Haliburton, of course). And the same can be said on defense regarding stamina, making this style hard to sustain.
Still, to begin the NBA season, it looks like many teams around the league are attempting to give their best Pacers impression. And if this proves anything, it is that Rick Carlisle and his squad are continuing to make a game-changing impact on the NBA.
The Pacers have put the rest of the NBA on notice
According to John Schuhmann of NBA.com, through the first week of the season, teams are applying full-court pressure on 18.2% of possessions, which is by far the most in 13 seasons of data.
"It’s a copycat league and teams are emulating the Indiana Pacers’ success in wearing teams down last season, picking up in the backcourt at the highest rate, by a wide margin, in 13 seasons of tracking data," Schuhmann wrote.
This can especially be seen with teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, and Phoenix Suns.
Furthermore, teams are playing at a faster pace all across the league, but the Miami Heat have made the biggest change. Schuchmann notes that 23.4% of Miami's possessions to begin the season were in transition, which is a massive jump from its 16.5% mark last season.
The Heat are also relying a lot more on improvisation and not calling as many set plays, pick-and-rolls, etc. Like Indiana, they are focused more on just taking what the defenses are giving them and making quick decisions.
For most teams, this could be a disaster. There is arguably no better offensive mind in the league than Carlisle, who knows how to get the most out of his players on a nightly basis. But Miami leads the league in pace (105.3), and its 122.4 PPG ranks as the fourth-most in the NBA. And if there is any coach in the league better than Carlisle, it's Erik Spoelstra, who also knows how to adapt and get the most out of his players regularly.
Things aren't going too well for Indiana at the moment, given its slow start to the season. Still, it's clear that the team has made an impact across the league, which should give fans optimism that they will return to title contention sooner rather than later.