Pacers notebook from sixth practice of 2026 training camp: Zubac with Haliburton and more

INDIANAPOLIS – In the background, Larry Nance wore a green penny. In the foreground, Jarace Walker drilled better than 80% of his threes and rang the bell. In between, several Pacers players were getting shots up at the tail end of their sixth training camp practice.

Both ends of the scene were noteworthy. Nance practiced on Friday for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury in September and is close to a return to game action. "Nance practiced today, so there's a chance that he'll be available tomorrow," head coach Rick Carlisle said in the St Vincent Center. The Pacers host the Atlanta Hawks, one of Nance's former teams, on Saturday for their second preseason game.

Circle City Spin

The Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, up close

Circle City SpinTony East

Walker's shooting was noteworthy after his strong game in Ames on Wednesday night. He did many things well in that win over Minnesota and made half of his threes, but his jumper was not close to the top of his most impressive feats list.

Rather, that went to his 10 assists and five rebounds with only one turnover. The passing volume and accuracy was impressive, as was his flair. His most viral pass went to Jay Huff – Walker fired the ball off the backboard, leapt up in the air to grab it, then threw the ball to Huff before landing.

"I had no plan, dog," Walker said of that pass after Friday's practice. "I just threw it off and he stepped over. Just made a play."

As Walker has turned his attention toward improving as a system player, it was a dreamy debut. Carlisle was pleased with his progress in doing basic things well – two hands on rebounds, both eyes on the player he was passing to, things of the like.

"I feel like that part is kind of natural," Walker said. He spent some time in the offseason working on his ball handling and, in turn, his passing after dribbling. "Just hitting the open man. It's not simple, but just making the right play."

Two more notes from the Pacers sixth training camp practice:

Ivica Zubac talks debuting with Tyrese Haliburton

Wednesday night was the first time that Ivica Zubac and Tyrese Haliburton shared the court as teammates. They overlapped for 16 minutes and kept building chemistry ahead of the regular season.

Zubac finds those minutes extremely helpful as he settles into his new reality. "You can practice as much as you want, but game reps are always going to be different. And just getting on the floor for the first time with (Haliburton), with [Pascal Siakam], with the whole starting unit felt good," Zubac said. "Just to kind of see what looks we're going to get out there, how teams [are] going guard us, getting used to our offense. Just finding myself, where to be in some situations."

Specifically, Zubac felt like he learned a lot about setting picks for his new guard partners. He's going to have to master the screening angles that Haliburton (and other ball handlers) prefer, and there's a timing element at play. Sometimes, Zubac needs to hold the screen for longer to keep a perimeter defender away. Other times, he needs to roll out of the action quickly.

Those are the key elements as Zubac builds chemistry in the two-man game. "A lot of the possessions I felt like I was kind of in the way," Zubac said of Wednesday's game. "It's normal. I'm new to the team, new to this style of play. So it's good to have some film on it to see it from... [the] outside, see how it looks."

Some veterans yawn at the thought of preseason games. But not Zubac, and not the Pacers. They need these reps and time together. He's making the most of the minutes with Haliburton, and other starters, as he adjusts to the pace of play required in the Pacers system.

"I knew he likes to play fast, but I was a little surprised for his first time being back on the court," Zubac said of Haliburton with a smile. They talked about pick and roll timing and technique after the game in Iowa.

Zubac's screen setting abilities have been complimented often in recent weeks. He shared today that he picked a lot of it up by watching veteran teammates when he was younger – Tyson Chandler, Joakim Noah, and Brook Lopez were among the players he named. They helped teach Zubac angles and the importance of a good screen.

He still carries those skills with him almost a decade later. Right now, he's learning how to best apply them to his new-ish team.

Rick Carlisle dissects Tyrese Haliburton's rhythm

After his return to play on Wednesday, Haliburton's biggest critique of his own performance was his pacing. "I feel like I'm just playing really fast right now. It's the first game, but just gotta slow down. I think it was just a lot of adrenaline," he said postgame.

Carlisle was asked about that specific part of Haliburton's outing and identified the speed of the game as a familiar challenge for players who are returning from injury.

"Return to play, that's one of the challenges is things do move quickly," he said. "But I thought all in all, he did great."

Carlisle saw a lot of positives in Haliburton's debut and his pairing with Zubac, but he acknowledged that some adjustments need to be made. That's what practice time is for and, to the Zubac point above, why preseason is more important for the Pacers than other teams with lofty goals.

"It was a good starting point. We got film to look at," Carlisle said. His team will battle Atlanta tomorrow in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Thank you for reading. The Pacers begin the regular season in less than two weeks, somehow. Sign up for more stories ahead of their leadup to a huge year, and thanks to the many who have signed up since training camp began.