“On paper we may have ten players available…”

« We need to focus on what we have, not what we don’t have. » This is the philosophy he shows Rick Carlisle while his team has a very delicate start to the season. After a narrow double-overtime loss against the Thunder, his Pacers took a small adjustment last night on the Grizzly floor.

To make matters worse, they lost their best forward, Benedikt Maturin, along the way. The guard was on the verge of a great night (26 points on 8/12 shooting) when he left his teammates with a foot injury.

« They will see how he is doing and if he needs to do any tests. And when we probably get to Dallas… well, tomorrow (today) It’s Sunday, I don’t know if any MRI center will be open, but we always find them, wherever they are », let the coach go. The latter also lost Taelon Peter to a groin injury.

His injury would have had less of an impact if the rookie hadn’t become an icon Pacers DII for the point guard position. Remember the team was already without Tyrese Halliburton, TJ McConnell and Cam Jones. So much so that the local press goes so far as to ask whether Indiana’s team leaders, including Kaitlin Clark’s health issues, are ” cursed ».

The team suffers without a creator

« Yes, without a creator the game is much harder “, agrees the coach, who adds more broadly about the state of his troops before the “back-to-back” in Minnesota the following night: ” I don’t know. On paper we may have 10 or 11 players tomorrow, but we will have to see. »

It is difficult to thrive in this context, but Carlyle believes that everyone internally, “ from me to our players two-way “, he must look for solutions. The situation is difficult, but the opportunity exists and we must find it. We will see at the meeting tomorrow what points we need to solve and we will prepare for Minnesota. But that’s the NBA », he puts things into perspective.

« it’s hard. These guys were crushed last night (editor’s note: Grizzlies a day early against the heat)and it’s hard. And tonight they came back, although we should have been much better, but we weren’t. We have to move forward, make small adjustments that will allow us to do better, and tomorrow we will have to be better », demands Rick Carlisle again, who is well on his way to doing miracles this season.