Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle opened up about how the team will have to change its play style this year.
The Indiana Pacers found all sorts of success during the 2025-26 season, with the franchise coming within one win of taking home the NBA title.
However, an injury to star guard Tyrese Haliburton in Game 7 of the NBA Finals cut all the dreams short for the Pacers. Haliburton proceeded to miss the entire season last year due to injury, leaving Indiana in a tough spot.
Indiana was only able to win 19 games last season, seeing the team miss the playoffs entirely. And to make matters worse, the Pacers didn't get their first-round draft pick after trading it away to the Los Angeles Clippers during the season.
The Pacers did acquire star big man Ivica Zubac from the Clippers for the pick, giving them a legitimate center for the future. Zubac now enters his first full season with Indiana after playing in just five games last season.
With the Pacers, Zubac averaged 11.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. But heading into this new season, Zubac's numbers should improve, especially with Haliburton back on the court next to him.
However, with Zubac being a different type of center than what Indiana has been used to in the past, the team may have to change the way that they play. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle hinted at this during Media Day, focusing on a few elements of his game.
Zubac doesn't space the floor like former center Myles Turner did for the Pacers, and this could change how the offensive attack works. But Zubac is a better rebounder than Turner, while also being a better finisher at the rim.
Carlisle will change the schemes to work around the game of Zubac, giving the unit a more recent update all around. But the veteran big man will also need to change parts of his game as well to fit into the up-and-down style of play that Indiana has gone with over the years.
Zubac has been in the league for 10 years, and he's been able to carve out a nice career so far. But playing for the Pacers will be a big change for the big man, and he will have to make sure he is in the best shape of his NBA career.
Indiana has big plans for Zubac this coming season, and he is expected to be a central part of the organization getting back to the NBA Finals. If Zubac can play up to par and fit into the system that the Pacers have, the sky can truly be the limit for this team entering the new season.
