Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle says the modern NBA favors teams that can deploy many contributors rather than leaning on a few stars, a philosophy he credited for the Pacers’ run to the 2025 Finals.
“We played a lot of guys to keep minutes reasonable and get into the legs of our opponent,” Carlisle told Caitlin Cooper of Basketball She Wrote. “The NBA game has become a play-hard league. It’s more important to have several good players than two or three great ones who take every touch.”
League insider Jake Fischer reinforced Carlisle’s influence, noting during a Bleacher Report livestream that the 64-year-old coach has “as formidable of a finger on the Pacers’ roster construction and overall talent evaluation” as any coach in the NBA.
Indiana’s front office built a rotation tailored to Carlisle’s system, coming within one win of the franchise’s first championship before injuries struck. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles injury sidelined him during the Finals and will cost him the entire upcoming season, while long-time center Myles Turner departed for Milwaukee in free agency.
Despite those setbacks, the Pacers awarded Carlisle a multi-year extension, signaling confidence in his vision and the club’s young core. Decisions still loom on whether Bennedict Mathurin and Jarace Walker remain long-term pieces, but Carlisle’s expanded role in personnel moves keeps Indiana optimistic about staying in the title conversation.
Source: Hoops Wire
