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Q&A: Rick Carlisle ready for ‘unique challenges’ as 2025-26 begins

Indiana’s coach anticipates a different ‘makeup’ of team as it seeks success in 2025-26 while Tyrese Haliburton mends. INDIANAPOLIS — What transpired at Gainbridge Fieldhouse last season, on the court and through the building, was a level of play and enthusiasm last savored in the days of Paul George, David West and Roy Hibbert. The Indiana Pacers built on their trip to the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals by pushing to the 2025 NBA Finals. Coach Rick Carlisle and his team fended off a 3-2 deficit to Oklahoma City in their Fieldhouse farewell and forced Game 7 before losing the series and star guard Tyrese Haliburton to a ruptured Achilles tendon in the first quarter. It was a coin flip between bad and worse. “Building on” last season seems a bridge too far for the Pacers in 2025-26. Haliburton, hitting his prime after two All-Star and two All-NBA selections, will miss the entire season. Also, center Myles Turner – a fixture since he arrived as a 19-year-old lottery pick in 2015 – finally one-upped years of trade rumors by “trading himself” as a free agent, signing with the rival Milwaukee Bucks. Rarely has a Finals team returned with such a dampened outlook. Anything approaching the Pacers’ 50-32 record from last season would qualify as a moral victory, yet the roster still is stocked with players – All-Star Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin – whose ambitions are loftier than that. Meanwhile, the calendar is relentless: Indiana opens its season against the reigning champion Thunder, back at the Fieldhouse, in a sorta-kinda Finals rematch (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). Carlisle talked briefly with NBA.com at the National Basketball Coaches Association last month about making this season more than a dreary off-Broadway production of “Waiting for Hali.” NBA.com: With Haliburton out and Turner gone, how do you balance reality and the desire to keep expectations high? Rick Carlisle : We’ve established standards, and we know this will be a season with some unique challenges. We’re missing an All-NBA player, a great playmaker and scorer. But there are opportunities for other guys. And from a style standpoint, we’re going to have to figure out very quickly what style is best for this group. We still want to play hard, fast, smart. But our makeup is going to be different. The transition you made to great results heading into last season, sacrificing a bit offensively to be more conscientious defensively, do you need to dial that up even more now? Defense is something that can be a constant. Shot-making can come and go, even for the best shooting teams. Defensive consistency can be there on a night-to-night basis. With physicality, commitment and togetherness. So this year, we’re going to look to our defense even more. Not that Andrew Nembhard needs to “step up” after what he demonstrated in the playoffs last spring, but now taking the role Tyrese had, what changes for him? Andrew’s unique because he’s a natural point guard who can play the 2 beside a guy like Tyrese. He can guard the best ball handler, and he can make plays with the ball. With him bumping over to the 1 and not having Tyrese, we go from two ball handlers and playmakers to just one. That’s going to be an adjustment. Who else can pick up that slack? I’ve always looked at Pascal [Siakam] as a ball handler and a playmaker, so if you count him we’re going from three to two. We’re going to have to figure it out. Looking up front, with Turner leaving and Thomas Bryant gone too, how do you try to plug that hole? It’s going to have to be a strength-in-numbers thing somehow. We had four centers come to training camp. Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman are both back from injuries last year. Tony Bradley is back. And we traded for Jay Huff. All of these guys bring a unique element to the mix. I’ve had seasons where I’ve played three centers consistently. In 2013-14 [in Dallas] we had Sam Dalembert, DeJuan Blair and Brandan Wright, and all three of them played just about every game during the season. Will their roles be situational? Dictated by foul trouble? Just stylistically, there were certain things each of them did that we needed night to night. And they were professional enough that they were able to handle minutes that would change by the game. As this season begins, we hear so much swooning over how tough the Western Conference will be. What is your take on the East?

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Last season, the Indiana Pacers thrilled fans with an exciting run to the 2025 NBA Finals. Although they lost to the Thunder in a tough Game 7, their performance brought great energy back to the city. However, the team now faces a difficult road ahead. Star guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury in that final game and will miss the entire 2025-26 season.

The Pacers’ challenges are significant as they head into the new season. Besides Haliburton’s absence, the team also lost longtime center Myles Turner, who joined the rival Bucks as a free agent. With two key players gone, coach Rick Carlisle and the remaining roster, including All-Star Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard, must find a new way to compete and stay successful.

👟 A New Season, A New Game Plan

Coach Rick Carlisle acknowledges that the upcoming season presents “unique challenges.” Without Haliburton, an All-NBA player known for his scoring and playmaking, the team’s style must change. Carlisle explained that while they still aim to play a “hard, fast, smart” brand of basketball, the team’s “makeup is going to be different.” This situation creates opportunities for other players to take on larger roles and show their skills.

🛡️ Defense as the Foundation

To handle these changes, the Pacers plan to rely more heavily on their defense. Carlisle believes that defense can be a constant strength for the team, even on nights when their shots aren’t falling. “Defensive consistency can be there on a night-to-night basis,” he said, emphasizing the importance of physicality, commitment, and teamwork. This defensive focus will be crucial for the team to remain competitive throughout the season.

💪 Stepping Up to Fill the Gaps

With Haliburton sidelined, other players will need to step up. Andrew Nembhard, who played well in last season’s playoffs, will move into the primary point guard role. Carlisle noted this will be an adjustment, as the team goes from having two main ball-handlers to one. He also expects All-Star forward Pascal Siakam to contribute more as a playmaker, helping to create scoring opportunities for his teammates.

🏀 A Team Effort at Center

The departure of Myles Turner leaves a big hole at the center position. To fill it, Carlisle plans to use a “strength-in-numbers” approach. The team brought four centers to training camp: Isaiah Jackson, James Wiseman, Tony Bradley, and Jay Huff. Carlisle mentioned he has experience playing multiple centers in a single game and will use each player’s unique skills depending on the game’s situation. This strategy will require flexibility and teamwork from the frontcourt players.