NBA IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT

December 8, 2023

Rick Carlisle

Indiana Pacers

Championship Practice Day

Q. What do you know about Andrew Nembhard's status at this point?

RICK CARLISLE: We don't know anything yet. We're waiting for results of some tests. He will not play tomorrow. But we're hopeful that he may have dodged a bullet and this may not be as long a term thing as it could have been. But we'll know more later this afternoon.

Q. There seems to be some Steve Nash comparisons with Tyrese as far as career trajectory and style of play and how going to a new place unlocked something. Do you see that and do you have any thoughts on maybe a player finding success in a new place with a new style?

RICK CARLISLE: Well, guys like Tyrese are going to be successful. He'd have been successful if he'd have stayed in Sacramento. I believe that.

The comparisons to Nash I do think are accurate, largely because of the skill set, the vision, the scoring ability. But even more than that is Ty's connectivity with people.

One of the things that was always so amazing to watch with Steve was whenever he'd approach a teammate on the court to talk to him, he'd always put his hand up and give him five. He would touch his teammates.

Tyrese is very similar in the way he connects, eye contact, touching, all those things. There's a real understanding of his teammates because he's put the work into those relationships.

Yeah, those to me are accurate comparisons. I think the two players are a bit different, but a lot of the qualities are the same.

Q. Along those lines, it seems like Ty has a special connection with Buddy Hield. He called him his brother yesterday and he wants to help him get to the Playoffs. What have you seen about their dynamic? What's special, carrying over from Sacramento to here with you guys?

RICK CARLISLE: Yeah, well, they obviously have a lot of familiarity with one another. With that kind of "brother" thing, brothers fight too, brothers argue, bicker and they go back and forth on some stuff.

But at the end of the day, there's a great love and appreciation. It's not an accident that last year they were the No. 1 connection team, assist-to-scorer ratio, whatever it was, and I know they're very high this year, as well.

I can't read minds, but I believe they feel they're on this mission together to try to make this climb to a level where we're in the conversation for Playoffs and winning in the Playoffs and eventually moving up from there.

Q. With Nembhard, last night in the immediate aftermath of the game, you said it may have been a hyperextension --

RICK CARLISLE: Yeah, I really wouldn't write that. There are HIPAA laws. You could get sued.

Q. I gotcha. But I'm just curious --

RICK CARLISLE: And I would be a witness. (Laughter.) Look, the hope is that's all it is is a mild hyperextension. But what's your question?

Q. It sounds like after you left the podium that there was a moment where you may have feared that it was something really serious.

RICK CARLISLE: Yeah, you always hope it isn't, but yeah, it's the NBA and guys are going 100 miles an hour and there's a stanchion and there's cameramen and there's a crowd there.

You know, there are things that are obstacles to good health. But on the other hand, NBA athletes are among the best in the world, and these guys not only accelerate but they decelerate pretty well, too. So we're just hoping for the best.

Q. The impact that T.J. had yesterday, how important is he going to be for you guys going into this next game, picking up 94 feet and just being active on both sides of the ball, as well?

RICK CARLISLE: Well, he's a big part of our culture, our personality and how we have to play. There's a reckless competitiveness about him that is something that we need to have for this game tomorrow.

He's obviously an important part of that -- an even bigger part of that now that Andrew will not be available tomorrow.

He's been doing this for nine years, coming in and creating chaos. In a chaotic situation, he thrives.

We want speed. We want pace in the game. We need the things that he brings.

Q. I just feel like T.J. is a player that a lot of teams want and need. How do you feel like young guys could learn from a guy like T.J. in terms of playing a role and playing it at a great level?

RICK CARLISLE: There's no weapon more powerful than persistence, and he's a great example of it. Undrafted, just forged and carved out a path into the league. He refused to go away, and I don't see him going away anytime soon.

Q. Obviously just beyond this NBA Cup, you see so many teams nowadays selling their assets, going for it right away for a championship if they have a chance for it. How do you preach winning and developing over time, but also just looking at the long term, not losing sight of that as you try to get better and make the Playoffs and become a championship team?

RICK CARLISLE: Yeah, it's a good question. Development and winning are not usually synonymous with one another. We've had two years of really all-out development. When we made the trade with Sacramento, we really stripped it down, built it back up with Tyrese, Buddy, Myles still on board, obviously T.J. still on board, tried to build it with athletic players that have skill.

We're somewhere on the climb. That said, we've had Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard play three G League games two or three nights ago in Sioux Falls. Walker came off by far his best game of the year.

The G League becomes an important part of your development when we're doing what we're doing now, which is we're trying to do everything possible to win. We have young players that are playing. Mathurin is playing, obviously Haliburton is 23 years old, Isaiah Jackson. There's a whole bunch of guys that are in our rotation that are young that are learning an awful lot.

That's the long answer. It's a challenge. It's a challenge.

As far as taking all our assets and going for it, one of the things you have to do in our situation is keep your powder dry and be opportunistic at the exact right times. I believe we will do that.

Q. You've always cared deeply about the league, very involved with the Coaches Association. I'm wondering your perspective on the healthiness of the talent right now. The Tyrese story to me, the neat part is it's introducing him to the mainstream public, the matchup with LeBron, you've got old and new, which is pretty cool. You've got Giannis on the court yesterday, Zion. Generally speaking, with an event like this that showcases the talent, when you kind of read this room in 2023, having seen what you've seen, where do you see the talent level?

RICK CARLISLE: Well, the NBA is set up for a long time. LeBron James is in his prime still. I'm watching the guy last night, and it's phenomenal. This is a guy -- someone just gave me the stat. He's the only player in NBA history who has been the youngest player in the league and the oldest player in the league, both. That speaks to obviously an amazing run of longevity and, in his case, greatness.

He's the all-time leading scorer, and if there's a Mount Rushmore, he's one of the guys on the NBA Mount Rushmore. That's what we're up against tomorrow. We're up against him and Anthony Davis and a lot of other very good players that are on a real uptick right now competitively.

We've got our hands full. But if you're the Indiana Pacers and you're in the process of making the climb and you want great experience, this is the kind of challenge that you've got to love.