Tony East here, the host of the daily Locked On Pacers podcast, with your daily Locked On Pacers newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Pacers and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
What Paris meant for the Pacers
[US, Mexico, & Canada customers only] Jan 25, 2025; Paris, FRANCE; San Antonio Spurs player Jeremy Sochan in action with Indiana Pacers player Obi Toppin in the Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via Imagn Images | Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via Imagn Images
Pacers Return from Paris: Lessons Learned and Rotation Decisions Ahead
The Indiana Pacers have returned from their trip to Paris, where they faced the San Antonio Spurs in a two-game series. The experience was a mixed bag, with the team suffering a humiliating defeat in the first game before bouncing back with a dominant win in the second. Reflecting on this unique mid-season journey, there are several key takeaways and important decisions looming for the team.
The Spurs hot shooting in the first game was a significant factor in their victory. Entering the Paris trip as the 24th-ranked three-point shooting team in the league, they caught fire and outperformed expectations. While the Pacers didn’t play their best defense, it’s hard to counter when a team is shooting lights out. The second game saw adjustments from both sides, with the Pacers ultimately coming out on top.
One of the most impressive aspects of this Pacers team is their ability to make adjustments between games. This pattern has been seen before, with strong performances in the second game of two-game sets against teams like Boston and Miami.
Jan 20, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) rebounds beside center Nick Richards (2) in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. | David Richard/David Richard-Imagn Images
It’s hard to pinpoint problems for a middling team. Very bad and excellent teams at least have one thing in common, which is that their deficits are easy to spot. With a team languishing in the middle of the standings, not so bad they’ll slide to the bottom and not good enough to climb past the more competent contenders above them, the deficits stack up and shuffle from day to day.
The Suns are firmly in this category.
There’s personnel issues, that much is clear after center Jusuf Nurkic said over the weekend that he and head coach Mike Budenholzer have no relationship. Not a bad relationship, not a testy one, but none whatsoever. Nurkic also said that he and Budenholzer didn’t speak for two months, and that Budenholzer didn’t tell Nurkic he’d be coming off the bench. That goes directly against what Budenholzer told media when he made the decision.
It’s a strange departure given that Budenholzer travelled to Croatia in the summer, shortly after the Suns hired him to replace the one season shoes of Frank Vogel, to spend time with Nurkic. Nurkic admired Coach Bud’s accountability, and the way he in turn held his players accountable.
“That’s the number one thing I noticed about him that’s different from any coach in my career,” Nurkic said, back in October. “I’ve had a lot of them. I was really amazed he got over and spent a few days with me.”
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Trade Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner is at the center of trade predictions, with his contract situation posing significant challenges. This detailed report covers potential trades and other key team notes. (Sports Illustrated)
Rumor Rumors are swirling about Myles Turner’s contract situation, which could turn into a big problem for the Indiana Pacers. This rumor mill highlights the uncertainties surrounding his future with the team. (Sports Illustrated)
Rumor NBA trade rumors suggest the Pacers are uncertain about offering Myles Turner a $30M contract. This potential deal could significantly impact Indiana’s roster decisions. (Bleacher Report)
Analysis Describing every NBA team two weeks from the trade deadline, the Indiana Pacers are summed up with two words: “Trade Watch.” This insightful analysis captures the team’s current state and trade potential. (Bleacher Report)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Recapping All 30 NBA Teams For Fantasy Basketball
Jan 25, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) reacts after making a three point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita/Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The NBA action over the weekend was intense, with 15 games providing plenty of storylines to dissect. Let’s dive into some of the most notable performances and developments.
In Paris, the Indiana Pacers bounced back from their previous loss with a dominant 136-98 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Tyrese Haliburton led the charge with 28 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in just 28 minutes. Andrew Nembhard continued his solid play with 15 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, though I’m not convinced he’s a must-roster player in standard leagues.
The Golden State Warriors are becoming increasingly difficult to figure out. With Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green sidelined, Steve Kerr’s rotations were unpredictable. Trayce Jackson-Davis saw only 14 minutes, making it hard to justify holding onto in most formats. The flavour of the month seems to be Brandin Podziemski, who put up 17 points, three rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 28 minutes.
Injury Updates Shake Up Rotations
Several teams are dealing with significant injuries that are impacting their rotations. The Atlanta Hawks will be without Trae Young for their upcoming game, while De’Andre Hunter is questionable. This could open up opportunities for players like Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic to see increased usage.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Pacers podcasts. Pacers season is about to get challenging post Paris The Pacers are back from Paris, and it might change their season. How so? Jon Washburn helps break it down before an important discussion about the Pacers rotation and starting lineup: Where do Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker, and Ben Sheppard stand?
A great recovery in game 2 in Paris The Indiana Pacers best had a pathetic loss on Thursday, then earned the biggest win in NBA Global Games history. How did they do it, and what does it reveal about the Pacers?
Indiana embarrassed by San Antonio in Paris Indiana looked pathetic in their 30-point loss to the Spurs o Thursday. Paris was not kind to them. What went wrong, and what can the Pacers do better in round 2 vs Wembanyama and the Spurs on Saturday?
