Even with a “new” roster, with players needing to get acquainted, Pacers coach Nate McMillan has frequently juggled his lineups in practice scrimmages. Rather than confine the starters to blue jerseys, the second unit to white jersey or the third unit to yellow jerseys, he’s mixed and matched personnel.
That might have seemed a questionable tactic given the need to build chemistry, but it’s turned out to be a good thing for an injury-riddled team that doesn’t know from one game to the next who’s going to play and who’s going watch in street clothes, not to mention who’s going to contribute.