Rick Carlisle is known not to play rookies often. But he did so in the Indiana Pacers' season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and it may be a sign of what's next to come as the team navigates through the season.
Against Oklahoma City, second-round rookie guard Taelon Peter played 17 minutes, including four in the second overtime.
Given Indiana's bleak point guard situation (which only got worse after Andrew Nembhard's injury), it shouldn't be much of a shock that the team relied on Peter as much as it did. But in a strange way, it still is.
Carlisle does not usually rely on rookies, especially during their first game.
For some context, last season, Johnny Furphy logged double-digit minutes in just 10 games. The year before, Jarace Walker only appeared in 33 games, and Ben Sheppard did not crack the Pacers' rotation until about halfway through his rookie year.
This goes even beyond Carlisle's current run as the Pacers' coach, though.
As head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, Carlisle gave out just limited roles to rookies like Jalen Brunson and Josh Green, who was a first-round pick in 2020, yet averaged just 11.4 minutes in 39 games that season.
With this season being all about experimentation for Indiana, it would not be too much of a surprise to see Carlisle rely on his rookie a bit more this season. Peter was solid in his NBA debut, and Kam Jones, who is dealing with a back injury, has already shown flashes of being a legitimate contributor for the Pacers.
It might not be a game-changer, but this will be a fun narrative for Pacers fans to follow the rest of the season.
Taelon Peter will likely play a big role this season
Many were skeptical of Indiana's decision to draft Peter in the second round earlier this year. The consensus was that he would go undrafted, and many Pacers fans wanted the team to select Ryan Nembhard instead.
However, early on, the Liberty alum has silenced his doubters and will look to continue to do so.
He did not do much to stuff the stat sheet in his debut. Though he logged 17 minutes, Peter recorded just two points on 1-for-2 shooting, one assist, and a steal. However, he looked confident whenever he had the ball, was active, and he constantly pushed the tempo. Given that the Pacers' system is all about moving fast and playing with energy, this makes him a good fit with the team.
Additionally, Indiana is already dealing with a lot of point guard injuries, so it may have no choice but to continue relying on Peter for the time being.
In addition to Nembhard and Jones, the Pacers are currently without star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who will miss the season due to an Achilles injury. The team is also currently without T.J. McConnell and Quenton Jackson, who are both dealing with hamstring injuries.
Peter is not likely to be in the Rookie of the Year discussions this season, but he can still make a big impact. He played a good amount right away, and he made the most out of this opportunity. If he can continue to do so, then Carlisle may have no choice but to keep him in the rotation for the foreseeable future.