Pacers lose to Jazz without their top talents, but get meaningful evaluations
Much to evaluate from a Pacers loss.
INDIANAPOLIS – The Pacers and Jazz hit the court for a game on Tuesday night. But it wasn't the Pacers that many are accustomed to, and it was a unique, extremely-shortedhanded version of the Jazz.
Utah had several players out for injury or rest, then made a significant trade that depleted their resources even further. Only eight players were active for the Jazz in the game, and one was Jusuf Nurkic who rested and didn't even play. The seven available Jazz players: Isaiah Collier, Lauri Markkanen, Cody Williams, Ace Bailey, Kyle Filipowski, Brice Sensabaugh, and Svi Mykhailiuk.
The Pacers, meanwhile, were without all of their starting five from last season as well as T.J. McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Micah Potter. That left nine available players for Indiana: Kam Jones, Jarace Walker, Johnny Furphy, Ben Sheppard, Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson, Quenton Jackson, Taelon Peter, and Ethan Thompson.
16 players were active for the game. NBA teams, when including two-way contracts, can have up to 18 on a roster. So less than half of the total possible players from the Pacers and Jazz were available for this game – the Pacers were on a back-to-back, and the teams are close to each other in the inverse standings.
Tony East
"It was a little odd," Pacers center Isaiah Jackson admitted of the game's circumstance. "I take every game as a challenge to get better."
In an outing that featured 18.8% of the available players on two-way deals (3/16), 37.5% on rookie-scale contracts (6/16), and 18.8% on recent second-round pick exception deals (3/16), there wasn't much continuity or veteran know-how on the floor. The four veterans on standard, negotiated contracts playing in the game were Markkanen, I. Jackson, Mykhailiuk, and Huff.
That lack of experience on the floor for either team led to a sloppy defensive game. Both teams scored over 120 points and shot better than 50% from the field. Four players scored at least 20 points. In some ways, it felt like a normal meeting between NBA teams.
In others, it did not. Most lineups used by both teams had never been deployed before. All three Pacers two-way contract players were on the court at the same time for 12:07 of play, and it was just the fourth game (vs Spurs Jan 2, at Miami Dec 27, at Houston 12/29) in which all three shared the court at one point. Collier did not sub out of the game, playing all 48 minutes and tossing 22 assists.
So while the Pacers will be disappointed with their defense, the takeaways from this game for them were more about young player performances than the result itself. "A lot of it was turnovers. Probably poor decisions, haven't looked at any of it yet," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of conceding 75 points in the second half.
Three players stood out. Either for their successes, failures, or role – Jones, Walker, and Q. Jackson all deserve a closer look. (I. Jackson and Furphy both did some good things as well).
Quenton Jackson, dynamic as ever
Q. Jackson was terrific against Utah, and to put it in context a history lesson is important. Down the stretch of the Pacers 2021-22 campaign, they won just three of their final 20 games. Young players were given chances to explore the studio space.
Even in that environment, the team's best young players were almost always the top performers and found a way to produce numbers. One of Tyrese Haliburton, Oshae Brissett, or Buddy Hield was often the top scorer. Brissett and Jalen Smith owned the glass. Haliburton, of course, had countless assists.
All of those players impacted the Pacers in future seasons when winning was more of a priority (less so Brissett since he departed for Boston... and won a title). The point holds that in atypical environments, the best players will find a way to show what makes them good.
Jackson, in just over 17 minutes against the Jazz, went 9/10 and made four free throws. His 24 points was tied for the Pacers top mark. He added three assists and three steals and was +15... in a nine-point loss.
Most everyone who has watched Jackson before understands that he's skilled. He proved it again against Utah. Not reporting, just speculating, but Jackson is worth keeping an eye on after the trade deadline if the Pacers still have a standard roster spot open.
Jarace Walker, attacking the cup
There were certainly some forgettable aspects of this game for Walker. Eight turnovers highlights that, and 1/7 from deep doesn't help. He's become a reliable shooter of late, so those numbers are perhaps a blip.
But Walker still finished with 24 points because he attacked. And attacked, and attacked. He attempted nine foul shots, a team high for the Pacers, and made seven two-point shots on his way to 24 points.
That's the most shots inside the arc Walker has made in one game. His toward-the-rim abilities have flashed multiple times recently, a big improvement – and a natural one as his rock-solid jumper keeps dropping (outside of this game, obviously).
"I feel like it's definitely grown as the season has gone along," Walker said of his ability to create rim pressure with the ball. "Trying to get downhill, attack the rim."
Kam Jones, a starter
Jones started for the first time in his career. He played almost 36 minutes, just his fourth outing with more than 10 minutes played. It was quite the opportunity for the rookie guard.
Jones should not have any expectations on his performance right now. He's played just 14 NBA games and missed much of the season with a back injury. His focus should be on development more than successes, and I chatted with him one-on-one about some of that here.
Against Utah, Jones looked every bit an NBA player – 12 points, six rebounds, and eight assists with a tidy looking jumper. It wasn't all perfect, and his defense needs work like most rookies, but it was his best game to date.
And yet, I was fascinated by how self-critical Jones was postgame. "I think I played a little bit better. I was a little more sure of myself. Still a lot of things I think I could have done better. In the moment, it's disappointing," he said postgame. "It's also very exciting to know I have so much more improvement to make."
Jones was hurt that the Pacers didn't win the game and was looking forward to watching film the next day. He didn't like his own pick-and-roll defense. I asked why he was being hard on himself after a career night in both scoring and assists.
"The goal is to just go out there and win. Whatever the stat sheet says, that's what it says," Jones began. "Winning is the ultimate goal."
I've heard good things about Jones' work ethic and attitude. Chatting with him a few times recently, I can see why that praise exists. Jones is trending upwards from his start of the season and showed some of his growth against the Jazz, albeit with a result he hated.
Some other notes from Pacers-Jazz below.
Should more of these games be expected?
This was the third rest-heavy game for the Pacers this season. Naturally, given the team's record, some think this could become a more frequent occurrence.
Perhaps it could, with the inverse standings being of note for the Pacers. Yet I would add that so far, all three times the Pacers rested multiple players was the second night of a back-to-back. The last time the Pacers did this, they rested top talents against Detroit after they suited up against New Orleans.
If these rest games were truly just about losing, it seems logical that decision would have flipped. So it's to-be-determined how the Pacers will handle things going forward. My prediction? They will be cautious with minutes on all five of their remaining back-to-backs. In other games? That may depend on the trade deadline.
Ethan Thompson, G League All-Star
Thompson, who is on a two-way contract with the Pacers, was named to the G League Next Up game at NBA All-Star weekend. That's essentially the G League All-Star game, and he's participating in the G League three-point contest as well. Former Pacer Gabe McGlothan will participate in the G League dunk contest.
Thompson has 21 appearances for the Pacers this season and is averaging almost 27 points per game for the Noblesville Boom. Carlisle was asked about his Next Up game honor pregame. "I saw him hit 10 threes two days ago in a game. Certainly deserving. He's had some very good stretches for us as well," Carlisle said of Thompson. "He's one of the top players in the G League for sure. He's shown us that he can step into NBA games and contribute." Thompson had 11 points and three assists against the Jazz.
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