The Pacers are one week into training camp and ‘competitive’ is the most common word used to describe the team’s work so far. After the first practice, Rick Carlisle told the media the blue team, normally the second unit, had dominated the defensive-centric practice.
The next day, Tyrese Haliburton made sure to find a mic to declare his starting group the winners for the day. The continual emphasis on defense has helped maintain the intensity. Additional competitive juices are flowing during late practice shooting drills when making 20 of 25 three-pointers from around the arc earns the player an opportunity to ring the courtside bell, letting everyone know they had a quality shooting round.