Pacers basketball is back and so is the mailbag.
On today’s episode of the Indy Cornrows podcast, Mark and Caitlin dig deep into the mailbag, answering listener questions about the short-term and long-term future of the Pacers ahead of opening night.
Topics:
Segment 1 — All things Bennedict Mathurin
- Will Mathurin continue to get the benefit of the whistle during the regular season?
- Can Mathurin be the team’s go-to scorer, and what would that mean for Haliburton as more of a pass-first point guard, particularly during crunch-time?
- Projecting his minutes per game and usage
- What stood out his game as special during preseason?
- Should there be any concern over his early shooting inefficiency?
- How important is inner dog in projecting growth and development moving forward?
Segment 2 — Analyzing the rest of the 25-and-under club
- Thoughts on Jalen Smith as starting power forward
- Who takes the bigger step forward between Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson?
- As an under-sized, non-shooting big, is it reasonable to project Isaiah Jackson as the starting center whenever the Pacers are competitive next?
- Could Andrew Nembhard overtake T.J. McConnell as back-up point guard?
Segment 3 — Rebuilding approach and the return of trade corner
- Outside of Hield and Turner, who is most likely to be traded
- If Haliburton and Mathurin have MIP and ROTY level season, will the team still be bad enough for the Pacers to get a top-five pick?
- Will Turner flourish in this offense and defense?
- Is there any scenario where the Pacers wouldn’t trade Hield and Turner?
- Did anything about preseason alter expectations for next season?
- Which team should the Pacers mimic with their rebuild?
Segment 4 — Schematics and general basketball questions
- Who will (and should) lead the Pacers in three-point attempts?
- Are the Pacers all-in on switching? What can be surmised from the defense?
- What defense would we install as coach (thank goodness we are not coaches)?
- Assessing Carlisle as a tactician
Segment 5 — Miscellaneous Fun!
- Favorite non-basketball part of the game (i.e. jerseys, courts, mascots, etc.)
- Top-3 League Pass Teams
- Best food at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
- What would it take for Mark to get the Gordon Hayward haircut?
- What Outshine flavor doesn’t exist but should?
- More
Enjoy the pod and special thanks to everyone who sent in questions! As always, if you haven’t already, please be sure to Rate and Review the Indy Cornrows Podcast on Apple Podcasts and subscribe anywhere else you can listen!
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indy-cornrows-for-indiana-pacers-fans/id1476566116
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o4XAxIy9fRvqWeolhjy1w?si=9e3761f8cbd04910