Rick Carlisle Sends Strong Message About Braden Smith After First NBA Start

Braden Smith made his first career start Monday night with his mother and brother in the building at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and the Indiana Pacers rookie finished with 19 points and 10 assists in a 108-104 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Smith played 42:13 and shot 8-of-13, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. He added 4 rebounds, 3 steals, and 5 turnovers.

Indiana had six available players. Smith told only a few people between learning he would start and tip-off.

"Just my family," Smith said. "My mom and brother weren't supposed to be there, and then they ended up last minute coming. So it's just a cool experience for them to see that as well and be there for that."

Smith grew up in Westfield, north of Indianapolis, and was Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 2022. He started all 149 games of his four-year career at Purdue and averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists.

On March 20, against Queens in the NCAA Tournament, he passed Bobby Hurley for the Division I career assists record. He finished with 1,103.

The Chicago Bulls took Smith 38th overall in June and traded his draft rights to Indiana for Kam Jones, two future second-round pick swaps, and cash. He signed a two-way contract in August.

Smith was tremendous to Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, who said the rookie showed the competitor he had been for several years at Purdue.

"It was a cramp," Carlisle said. "It was not a pulled muscle or a strain as far as I know. Look, this guy, this guy played, well, he didn't play the most minutes, but he played 42 minutes in an NBA game. And he's prepared for this opportunity because of all the work he put in this summer."

"And when we did the beep test before training camp, he got to level 15 when everybody else bowed out at level — 12, I think, was the highest that anybody went," Carlisle added. "And it just goes to show you that putting in that kind of work will bear fruit. It was inspiring to watch him battle tonight. And I thought defensively he did a great job too."

Jalen Slawson replaced Smith with 58.7 seconds left and Indiana down 106-104. Only Jarace Walker, at 44:41, played more.

Four nights earlier, Smith had 1 point and 1 assist in 11:41 of a 145-125 loss at Miami. During the preseason, he went 2-of-9 for 5 points in 16 minutes at Oklahoma City.

Smith had never been part of a game where only six players dressed, and Indiana came in on a four-game losing streak.

"Obviously excited," Smith explained. "Obviously we lost, and that's kind of my main focus. And obviously we're on a losing streak, so that was my main priority is try to impact the game in any way to try to help us win. And obviously we were right there, and just a couple things didn't go our way, and obviously some stuff happens."

"But overall, just excited to be out there," Smith continued. "And obviously once your number is called, just ready to play."

Smith went 3-of-4 with 7 points and 8 assists in the first half. He scored 9 more in the third quarter, when he went 4-of-8.

His 10th assist came on a Quenton Jackson fast-break layup with 7:36 left in the fourth. With 3:26 left, his 25-footer pulled Indiana within 104-98.

Carlisle credited Smith with setting up a lot of Jay Huff's baskets at the rim. Huff scored 22.

"A lot of it he was simply creating by himself," Carlisle explained. "Sometimes there was the use of a screen. Sometimes it was just figuring out a way to get by somebody. But, look, 19 and 10? That's a double-double in the NBA."

Dyson Daniels and Luguentz Dort were a challenge for Smith, and a fun one.

"They're unbelievable defenders," Smith said. "And for me to experience that and go through that, it was a challenge. And obviously they're tough players and great players. For me, it was just fun to be out there because you watch them on TV all the time. I'm still like a kid in a candy store just being out there watching everybody and seeing everybody in real life."

"So for me, it's cool just to be a part of," Smith detailed. "And obviously I thought there's some possessions I wish I could take back and just not force as much because a couple of those turnovers. But overall, I thought we all handled it well. And I thought I did a decent job with that. And just trying to just get guys involved."

Daniels stole the ball from Smith twice, first with 10:37 left in the first quarter and again with 6:03 left in the fourth. Daniels had 3 steals overall.

In five Summer League games with Indiana, Smith averaged 6.8 points, 7.2 assists, and 4.4 rebounds. He went 0-of-7 from the field against the Toronto Raptors in one of them and still had 9 assists.

Tyrese Haliburton compared Smith to T.J. McConnell after the preseason finale in October. Haliburton and McConnell were both out Monday with hamstring strains.

Summer League was a different game for Smith, with a different tempo and style of basketball.

"I think you've got to learn you don't go to a job and just you're perfect right away, or you get the top job right away," Smith said. "And a lot of people think that. And that's just not how the world goes. And you're supposed to learn."

"And honestly, I thought that was the best thing for me because I thought in college I was at the top for a very, very long time, doing it at a very high level," Smith continued. "Honestly, I needed that. I needed to get back down here and you got to work your way back up."

Indiana dropped to 2-6. Smith and the Pacers visit the Memphis Grizzlies for an 8 p.m. ET tip-off on Wednesday.