Taelon Peter, the symbol of the Pacers’ forced do-it-yourself at the helm

That’s all the pre-season flair summed up in one sequence. During a timeout, in the middle of a meeting between his Pacers and the Thunder, Rick Carlisle calls out to his rookie Taelon Peter : « Have you ever played point guard? » Response from the person concerned: “ No, but I’m willing to try. »

« I didn’t want to lie, I was honest with him and told him that I was ready to do anything to be on the field », the 23-year-old said afterwards. And this is how the latter managed the play of the team’s second five during the first half of the last preseason match against the Spurs on Friday.

A pick that may have seemed surprising, considering the Pacers had signed veteran Cameron Payne eight days earlier to fill in for Andrew Nembhardt. It foreshadowed what was to come. Cam Payne played in the second half, but the Pacers came out the next day they went to cut it.

« It didn’t work », comments Rick Carlisle simply, while Cam Payne put up about 7 points and 2 assists, but suffered from serious clumsiness (29%). His departure comes as the Indiana team faces a shortage of point guards, coinciding with the extended absence of Tyrese Haliburton.

TJ McConnell is sidelined for several weeks (at least until Nov. 9) with a thigh injury, as is rookie Cam Jones, who is dealing with a back problem. The Pacers tried to compensate with Monte Morris or Delon Wright, but their health also cooled the Pacers.

“Good playmakers don’t roam the streets”

« We will find a solution. We are considering all options. List of cut players. We look at guys’ nephews and uncles and everything, but good playmakers don’t rush. You will have to be creative », recognizes the local coach by his usual naturalness.

The symbol of this creation in position 1, Taelon Peter continues his atypical trajectory. After playing just six games during his first varsity year at Tennessee Tech (2020-21), he spent three seasons at NCAA Division II (Arkansas Tech), before returning to the elite for his fifth season at Liberty where he averaged 13.7 points and 4 rebounds.

The Pacers surprised him by selecting him with the 54th pick, before offering him a two-way contract. And in the preseason, due to injuries, he played the most cumulative minutes. With a line of 10 points per game (45%), 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

Playing a leader is “ a challenge » for him, but he appreciates the opportunity. ” You really have to know all your teammates on another level, know what they like, where they prefer to shoot. You need to know who to turn to in transition to pick up the pace. You have to be a leader“, states the newcomer, who ends:It’s a challenge, but it’s something they’ve helped me prepare for a lot. They were accommodating to me throughout the process. »