Recently, following their elimination at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Nikola Jokic said that their team needed to work on their depth like some of the other successful teams in the NBA playoffs. One of these teams has proven to be the Indiana Pacers.
In a recent media interview, forward Pascal Siakam was speaking about what makes this team special. He hinted that the team is a group of guys who want to play for each other. He went on to say that they all checked their egos and want to win as a team. This is so apparent in the style of play that they have shown this year.
It is a team who plays selfless basketball, and is always looking to make the extra pass, regardless of statistics. They play with and for each other. Their chemistry is one that other teams in the league should look to model themselves after.
This style of play has the fingerprints of head coach Rick Carlisle all over it. Carlisle has proven in the past to push his teams to play selflessly and play for the name on the front of the jersey. The best example of this would be what he was able to do with the 2011 Dallas Mavericks, leading the team to their first NBA championship.
With this team, he has taken a player, Tyrese Haliburton, who was recently voted by his peers to be the most overrated player in the league, to a mainstay at his point guard position and the floor general of his team.
He has also found key roles from pivotal players such as Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith. At times, Carlisle has even gone as deep as a ten-man rotation in these playoffs. This shows the confidence he has in this team.
The Pacers take the next step in their quest for a title on Wednesday evening, when they renew their historic rivalry with the New York Knicks. Will their team mentality carry them on to the NBA Finals? Time will tell.