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PACERS 114, HORNETS 112: Reaction with Mike Rich (2.136.4) · The Central Indiana Sports Report

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: You are listening to a special edition of the Pacer's Report.
• 0:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: My Gritches reaction to the Pacer's 114-12 victory over the Charlotte Hornet and Charlotte on Thursday and it's only on the Central Indiana Sports Report.
• 0:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back, Pacer's fans to the Central Indian sports report for a special edition of the Pacer's report with my courage.
• 0:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: My reaction to the Pacer's 1-14-1-12 win in Charlotte.
• 0:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: And my cuts more like it.
• 0:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's more like it.
• 0:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think last three games have led to this victory, I think they played really well the last three games.
• 0:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: They've shot really well.
• 0:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think they've shot over 50% the last three games or right at 50% from the field.
• 0:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: They've been on the verge.
• 0:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: They've been in games.
• 0:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: It was crazy that it took a whole month and 14 games to get to 1,000 wins for Carlisle, but,
• 1:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: pretty exciting to watch this game and it's a lot of the same that we've seen at the Arkham of course was consistent.
• 1:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mike, if that wasn't the best game of TJ McConnell's career is really close.
• 1:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, that was real close.
• 1:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think Cabin is dad and the audience in the stands tonight, really was motivating for him.
• 1:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: I remember an interview last year with his dad and talking about his sister and how his sister, I think, one mistake championship, and maybe he didn't win the championship for something like that.
• 1:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: He was giving him a little dig there.
• 1:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: And even though they were, I think they were getting ready to go.
• 1:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: The finals at that time were maybe even been in the finals when they interviewed his dad.
• 1:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: Definitely saw some additional motivation there and just a phenomenal game from McConnell.
• 1:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: It ended with McConnell getting a big steal and getting up all the shepherd and sailing that, uh, getting ahead by two points there at the end of the game.
• 2:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, um, yeah, I was, I was a total, uh, everything you want to see out in McConnell, you salt tonight.
• 2:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that was, it gets those steels on the inbound spaces all the time, but to do it with seven seconds left when you just went up a point.
• 2:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if I've ever seen that.
• 2:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: That was amazing.
• 2:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: it was and he does it so often and you would think that teams would be prepared for it and he just finds that time when they're not prepared and he gets that steel and they call it a McConnell on the broadcast and that's exactly what he's doing.
• 2:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: The thing that oppresses me most about TJ McConnell Mike is that he just continues to add to his game.
• 2:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Every single year he had something else, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone wants to trade to make him their point card.
• 3:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: He's good enough.
• 3:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think he's good enough to start somewhere.
• 3:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: When they traded for him, I thought, oh, I like that guy.
• 3:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: He plays hard.
• 3:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: He gives you energy off the bench.
• 3:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Never did I imagine he'd have this kind of production and that he would one day be a guy that you could count on for scoring Mike.
• 3:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: He used to be a guy that did everything but score.
• 3:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now you can count on him for scoring.
• 3:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's got that jumper.
• 3:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now he's sitting threes.
• 3:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: Hey, he's by shooting 40% from threes.
• 3:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: He doesn't take him.
• 3:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: He knows when to take him.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: He doesn't take him when they're ill advised and well, he can't Mike because they take him about four seconds to realize his hand.
• 3:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: He's got to get his feet set.
• 3:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: He's got to get his feet set.
• 3:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: I've positioned the help backwards from five.
• 3:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: He gave a lot of props to Rick Carlisle tonight after the game and indicated that his game has gotten much better with being here with Rick Carlisle.
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: He gave a lot of credit to Rick for how his game is evolved and why it's evolved.
• 4:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think he just fits in really good where he's at on this team.
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's obviously gracious of T. J. McConnell, but the T. J. McConnell works so hard that he would have been a fast anywhere he went.
• 4:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: He does, but he gets the opportunity to be a success here.
• 4:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: as much credit in his car allow gets for and he does get some for sure.
• 4:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: McConnell.
• 4:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: He just basketball is an effort sport.
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's a repetition sport.
• 4:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you can tell that no one is outworking to Jima Carl.
• 4:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: There's no one.
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: No one on the pace or as I think is outworking them and no one no one in the league.
• 4:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, he works really hard on his game.
• 4:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can tell by the way, he just adds little wrinkles all the time.
• 5:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, that is working on specific things all the time, cutting to the basket and a little jumper in the lane and used to just be that little side shot and the turn around baseline jump or or one day, just all the stuff up and yeah people or the reverse shot, he uses the ramp for you know to get the defender off of him to where he can get that reverse shot up and
• 5:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: uh... but now he's always evolving as game always working on his game and he does he just works super hard and uh... it was great to see that he had a part in this way and he had a big part in this win and his greatest McConnell was tonight Mike none of the happens without past calciacum who he's got to be an all star it would be a shame if he wasn't after playing like this and thirty points and of course the game winner and you knew it was going in
• 5:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, you knew as soon as he beat that defender or it was going in, I think he he put him on his ass actually and I think he did.
• 6:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll stick to the ground is yeah, I would say more bad defense than good off.
• 6:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but now it's near 12 for 23 30 points three for four from the three point line.
• 6:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: 14 rebounds.
• 6:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: 14 rebounds.
• 6:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, four offensive rebounds and they were all huge 10 defensive rebounds for offensive rebounds just just a phenomenal game and he's had a he's had a phenomenal season and it's, you know, it stinks that he's on a team.
• 6:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's only one seven games, but without him we don't win seven games.
• 6:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: In all seriousness, they have you're right, they have played well like seven or eight of their last nine games against the tough schedule.
• 7:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: People might think we're crazy talking about a 13 game losing streak with such positivity, but there's been so much to like when you're watching the games individually.
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: it there is and this team is still playing hard.
• 7:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think a lot of teams would have really kind of had a lot more dysfunction on the team and a lot more frustration, finger pointing, and things like that.
• 7:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: But again, the chemistry of this team and
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: how they pull for each other.
• 7:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: They play for each other.
• 7:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: The core of this team, I think still has that that they've had over the last couple of years.
• 7:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: The enthusiasm that you see, even with the guys that are sitting there injured and every night you see how a burden he's just pumped to see guys do well and excited to
• 7:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: to see them being games and things like that.
• 7:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: I would think as a player as his caliber, I'd really be struggling to do that because you want to be on that floor.
• 8:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: You want to be in the game and you want to be able to help these guys out.
• 8:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: He is extremely supportive and I think that's it's really good to see you.
• 8:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we're, like we said before, I think we're seeing a lot of growth with this team and a lot of growth with some of the younger players and I think it's kind of, you know, continue to benefit for 26, 27.
• 8:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, if you're not really paying attention, you're just looking at scores and records, you think this has been a really bad pace or season and it has, don't get me wrong.
• 8:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: We've talked about it a lot, it's been hard to watch, but there's an awful lot to like.
• 8:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Andrew Nym hard didn't play tonight lower back soreness something he shares with me for sure I woke up this morning with back spasms Mike, but the other guys that we've talked about that are going to be part of the future
• 9:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: He had what the second most repounds on the team.
• 9:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: He ended up with a total of them.
• 9:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: He made all of his free throws, which is good.
• 9:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: He takes three when he's open and shoots fairly good percentage there.
• 9:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: Again, I think this season will benefit him probably more than any other player on the roster.
• 9:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you would hope it would be Darius Walker, but it is not gone very well for him this year for some reason.
• 9:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: What it seems like a really good guy.
• 9:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's just whatever has happened this year where his roles change.
• 9:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is not worked out for him, but let's stick to the positive for now.
• 9:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: I thought Quentin Jackson filled in for them hard pretty pretty well tonight as well.
• 9:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: I thought defensively he came up and Jackson would be an excellent third team point guard.
• 9:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, absolutely.
• 9:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 9:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's an NBA guy.
• 10:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
• 10:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think the only mistake in the last few seconds of this game was not letting Lamello Ball shoot that shot and they let sex and shoot it.
• 10:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: So that was, you know, whatever defense we played against Ball not getting the ball for that last second shot because he hit hit one at the very end of the first quarter and then he hit that one at the very end of the second quarter.
• 10:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that's the one that was the fade away three bank or whatever and
• 10:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: uh uh he had a phenomenal game um and Mike that is a talented Hornet's team.
• 10:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: It would happen when you uh when you drafted the top of the draft every year and still they suck.
• 10:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's weird.
• 10:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 10:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're so talented and they still can't win anything.
• 10:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're 355 now.
• 10:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Pacers are 5 and 31 against the rest of the NBA and 2 and 0 against the Hornet's now.
• 10:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: But Lamello ball is talented.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just wonder if he's another one of those guys like Tray Young.
• 11:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I expect the Hawks to get better now.
• 11:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think he's a net negative to most people though.
• 11:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Washington might that might be exactly what they need.
• 11:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: It is a go-to score.
• 11:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think Atlanta's gonna be better now without him.
• 11:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm not sure about Lamello ball.
• 11:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's, you watch him and you go, ooh, that's a really good player, but the results just haven't been there.
• 11:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, a consumable man.
• 11:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: He is going to be great.
• 11:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: Usually starts for the hornets and you, I think this, he was coming off the bench tonight or, so I think it was rest.
• 11:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that's what it was.
• 11:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think they were mainstream.
• 11:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, managing his menets and restricting his menets for rest and yeah, that's total nonsense.
• 11:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: a mic if you're a basketball coach you love this game you know why why's that thirty eight for forty five from the three point from the free throw line for the two teams the patience for twenty for twenty one that's pretty good that's pretty good that's pretty good they don't win the games they don't make all of me there
• 12:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's true.
• 12:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: They need it every single one.
• 12:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's right.
• 12:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: What's wrong with you Ben Shepherd?
• 12:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Missing a free room.
• 12:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, that's what I was looking at.
• 12:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: Who missed a free throw Ben Shepherd?
• 12:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yep.
• 12:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't even remember happening because it didn't seem like a thing at the time.
• 12:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: But you got 20 for 21 Charlotte and a really good night, 18 for 24.
• 12:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the Pacer shot 50% as you mentioned, 41 for 82, all right.
• 12:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mike, let's look ahead to what's happening in the coming days.
• 12:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Pacer's looked to start their third two game winning streak of the season.
• 12:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: They haven't won more than two all year when Miami visits and then.
• 12:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: and their four straight home games, Miami Saturday, Boston Monday, Toronto, Wednesday, New Orleans Friday.
• 13:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: So every other day, starting on Saturday, Mike, I said, I think they could go three and three.
• 13:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: You had the under.
• 13:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: They almost put together and they should have beaten Cleveland.
• 13:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now they're one and one.
• 13:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: So are you are you adjusting your expectations or you still think
• 13:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, Miami's getting an extra day of rest since the, uh, the washout and Chicago tonight.
• 13:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: So they're going to be a pretty fresh for the game on Saturday night.
• 13:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: Pretty good Miami dream to and it's a really good Miami team.
• 13:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, yeah, an Eric's bolster can coach, you know, he can unfortunately.
• 13:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think the Pacers will play well at the in this home stretch.
• 13:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: But I still think they're only taking one of the next four.
• 13:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: I really think as the next four with Miami Boston, Toronto, New Orleans, I think they're really going to struggle still.
• 13:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think they're probably still going to have a chance against New Orleans.
• 14:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: Miami having the rest in Boston, Toronto, playing pretty well, it's going to be a tough home stand.
• 14:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think they'll play well.
• 14:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: But if it's close, if the games are close, it worries me.
• 14:21
  [SPEAKER_02]: This game, they came out from the jump.
• 14:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I don't think they gave up the lead until maybe middle like nine and a half minutes into the fourth quarter or something like that.
• 14:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: Um, so it was a really solid game tonight, but to jump out 16 for from the start and they had almost half to have that and they can't get we said it before they can't get behind like they used like they did last year last year They could be down 15 20 points and in a third quarter and they could come back and win the game They want a lot of games last year by coming back So if they can jump on these teams and get out and
• 15:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: on them.
• 15:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're all professionals and there's always an opportunity to win, but looking at the quality of the schedule, it's going to be pretty tough.
• 15:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: And they play Boston really well recently.
• 15:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: Tell me, it's going to be a tough stretch.
• 15:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: You're more optimistic than me.
• 15:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think a little bit probably, but this team is seven or thirty one mark.
• 15:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: Sorry, say it again.
• 15:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: Are you taking, you're taking it
• 15:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: At least, at least, yeah, I do.
• 15:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're gonna find a way to at least win two of those, and I think maybe even go four and two.
• 15:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll see Mike.
• 15:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Since Neesmith got back, I think this team just looks different.
• 15:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are seven and 31 though, so what I've been doing a lot is watching a lot of college basketball, and we're gonna talk more about this on the Pacers Report on Monday, but I just wanted to tell you
• 15:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I did a deep dive into Caleb Wilson of North Carolina as you know a couple weeks ago.
• 16:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: This week I did the same thing with Cameron Booser and Mike, this guy is so good.
• 16:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Of the four guys that I believe are probably going to be franchise type players, he is without question in my mind the most certain.
• 16:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: He is going to be very good and he's probably the guy that if you want someone to contribute starting next year.
• 16:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's your guy.
• 16:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Of those four, I think he's probably got the lowest ceiling because he's not incredibly athletic, but he literally, six, 10, and can run the break with no problem.
• 16:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he is a smooth, three-point shooter.
• 16:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: So much to like, oh, any rebounds, but I mentioned that he rebounds.
• 16:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he just pretty much does everything.
• 16:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: He just does it a little slow sometimes.
• 16:46
  [UNKNOWN]: Yeah.
• 16:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mike, the Pacers are, I think, five games now from getting in from not being in the bottom four teams, which is all you need to do to have the best odds to win the number one, is to have one of the worst four records in the league.
• 17:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: So they can go ahead and win now.
• 17:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: We can go, we can cheer for them to win and still pay attention to these college guys and know that we're going to be drafted at the top of the draft.
• 17:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: I, you know, I'm hoping that they play really well these next four games and and I would like to see them beat any of these teams.
• 17:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: I would love to see them beat Miami, Ham Boston if they lose these three of the four or all four of them again, it's it's only going to benefit the opportunity to draft high, but I don't think I don't think they're losing all four of them.
• 17:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: I don't think
• 17:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think the top four picks in this draft, I think, all of that, anyone I'm just going to be able to benefit this team.
• 17:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: Booser, I like Booser.
• 17:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think I like the size, I like his game.
• 18:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: I like that he rebounds.
• 18:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I and I think that I worry a little bit about how methodically is, but I think it's going to work.
• 18:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's going to work in the NBA.
• 18:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: He is a little slow.
• 18:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think he, I think it's methodical.
• 18:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think he lacks athleticism necessarily.
• 18:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: But man, he is just so skilled such a good passer too.
• 18:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: There's not a thing he doesn't do well.
• 18:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: I had a thing to bounce is going to have to be I really like Peterson.
• 18:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's not enough tape though.
• 18:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: He has a blade enough.
• 18:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: If we're 30 points the other night, I'm looking forward to watching it.
• 18:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I saw that he scored 30 points the other night.
• 18:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's the one thing that turns me off from him already is just if I'm not 100% I'm not playing.
• 18:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it's like you're never going to be 100% in the NBA.
• 18:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: So don't need that type of mindset coming out of college with somebody especially need coming out of college and potentially being a rotation for a team that has got aspirations
• 19:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: just don't need that mentality and I think that's the key with who they pick if they're in that top four pick is what type of chemistry they're going to have with the rest of this team.
• 19:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: Athletically, any one of them fits and their game, there's definitely a place you can find on the pace routine for any one of those four with the pace routine, but I think it's going to be come down to the personality and what type of chemistry that they can build
• 19:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: just from what I've heard with Peter said that would turn me off.
• 19:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, I promise you, I get it.
• 19:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know exactly what you're saying, but if the Pacers draft him, I'll be excited.
• 19:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: The comparison sees drawing I've never seen before.
• 20:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, the ceiling there is super duper duper high.
• 20:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: And there's a lot of mock drafts to have him number one, too.
• 20:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: One thing to watch for on Saturday night, Mike and you and I will be back to talk about it after the Pacers and he is, when it comes to Siakum being in all star, he's going head to head with Norman Powell, one of the guys he's probably going to be competing for an all star spot with, so that will be kind of a subplot that we can be watching on Saturday night.
• 20:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think I'll for I think the outcome will probably show why he should be on the all-star team on Saturday night And I think this will be the third time the season the patients went to a row Mike.
• 20:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm picking and I'm saying the patients are winning this one all right Hopefully Andrew Nimhard and my lower back both get healthy between now and Saturday
• 21:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: I hope so.
• 21:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: I hope you both fell in better and you're not taking that Organized schedule to rest during the season.
• 21:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm gonna I'm gonna play through it today, Mike I played during the school today.
• 21:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: I could barely move, but I've made it
• 21:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll hand through the injury to bring you the best Central Indiana Sports News possible.
• 21:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks so much for listening.
• 21:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks so much to Mike for joining me.
• 21:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Please share this podcast with the patient's fan in your life, help us spread the word that the Central Indiana Sports Group port is talking about what Central Indiana Sports fans are talking about every single day.
• 21:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks again.
• 21:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, I'm joining in a sports board project like TG Media, and I'll see you soon.