Indiana Pacers head coach **Rick Carlisle** joined _The Fan Morning Show_ ahead of the regular season and didn’t hold back on his new big man. According to Carlisle, **Ivica Zubac** may be the best screener he has seen in the NBA.
“I think Zu is as good a screener as I’ve ever seen in the NBA,” Carlisle said. He then listed the greats he’s coached, played with or coached against: DeAndre Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing, Robert Parish and Bill Walton. He put Zubac “up in the class of all those.”
Carlisle said Zubac “changes the geometry of our game a little bit” and admitted the offense will look different. The staff is still smoothing out rough edges. Beyond screening, they want Zubac to be “a huge factor at the rim” on duck-ins and rolls.
Carlisle called **Tyrese Haliburton’s** preseason showing in Oklahoma City “very significant” because it was one of his first games back in the building since Game 7. Haliburton had missed the Atlanta game with a minor ankle ding but felt he needed to play at least three of the four preseason games.
Carlisle said the long layoff gave Haliburton time to rehab and to sharpen weaker parts of his game, especially driving left. He pointed to a left-handed floater as proof. “Great players have the ability to make the defense always be wrong,” Carlisle said. Being able to go left and right equally, he added, “is going to be an enhancer.”
Carlisle also praised **Kelly Oubre Jr.**, calling him a proven three-and-D veteran who brings “a toughness” and “an edge.” That’s especially valuable while Aaron Nesmith is out for a few games.
Pacers games not on free TV can be streamed on DAZN this season. Watch the full interview with Coach Carlisle above, and catch _The Fan Morning Show_ weekdays on 93.5 & 107.5 The Fan.