INDIANAPOLIS — On recent episodes of Locked On Pacers, host Tony East and Basketball She Wrote writer Caitlin Cooper have reviewed the 2022-23 season of Indiana Pacers players and leaders. They review one stat, one play, and one over/under for each person to thoroughly detail their campaign and look ahead at their future.
What one stat defined each player's season?
East and Cooper came up with one stat that was important for each player this season. For example, for rookie Bennedict Mathurin, the two discussed how often he passed the ball after driving to the rim.
"[Mathurin] was making passes more often out of drives as a starter and with more responsibility than what he had been doing earlier in the season," Cooper said.
What clip or moment showcased what a player's season was all about?
Every player has strengths and weaknesses, so East and Cooper looked at one clip or play that played a big part in every player's strengths or weaknesses. When diving into Myles Turner's 2022-23 campaign, the pair broke down how he improved attacking smaller players.
"You can't just intuitively put a small [defender] on [Turner] and call that the best option. He can punish that now," East detailed.
Going forward, what over/under will explain a player's growth?
The pair came up with one over/under that will be revealing when it comes to each player's improvement in future seasons. When it came to rookie Andrew Nembhard, they discussed his minutes played alongside Tyrese Haliburton while with Haliburton they discussed his potential assists per game.
"I'm curious, as [the Pacers] talent gets better... [do] you feel like that number will be over or under 19.8?" Cooper and East wondered about All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton's 19.8 potential assists per game stat.
All of the episodes can be found at the following links: