Pacers lean into the 'best bench of the NBA' to stay fresh and play fast
BOSTON -- The three Pacers who came to the post-game press conference after their Game 7 win in the Eastern Conference semifinals were asked how they would sum up why they -- not the Knicks -- were moving on to the conference finals to play Boston.
Center Myles Turner talked about the Pacers' physicality, not because it differentiated them for the Knicks, but because it allowed them to match New York after Indiana was crushed on the boards in Game 5. A team that had struggled on defense and the glass all year turned a weakness into a strength when it had to. The answer was adequate, and Tyrese Haliburton could have easily let it pass, but he felt the need to mention something the Pacers had that New York did not.
"I want to say our depth, too," Haliburton said. "Our depth. We got the best bench in the NBA. We're the deepest team in the NBA. We got five, six guys ready on the bench at all times, ready to answer the call when need be. I think that's what separates us from everybody. Big shout out to our bench. They really get our energy going."
Haliburton has been saying since training camp that he expected depth to be the team's strength, even before the Pacers knew who would start -- outside of Haliburton and Turner -- and who would come off the bench. As it turned out, he was right.
The composition of the second unit morphed throughout the season thanks to injuries, trades, and the increased focus on defense that led to guard Andrew Nembhard and forward Aaron Nesmith moving into the starting lineup and forward Obi Toppin moving to the bench. But Haliburton's boasts indeed held up as the Pacers' bench finished first in the NBA in scoring (46.8 points per game), first in field goal percentage (.513), first in effective field goal percentage (.574) and first in offensive rating (67.4). They were also fifth in rebounds, third in assist and second in steals, and though they had their struggles on the defensive end just as the starters did -- finishing 29th in defensive rating -- they were eighth in net rating at +1.2. Their bench was the fourth-most relied upon in the league with their reserves averaging 19.3 minutes per game, and their starters averaged 28.7 minutes per game, keeping the group fresh so the Pacers could play the second-fastest pace in the NBA and lead the league in scoring.
But NBA teams tend to use their bench in the regular season just to make sure their starters have enough gas in the tank for the playoffs, at which point they ride their best players significantly more. And with that context, it's even more notable that, though the Pacers have shortened their rotation somewhat and increased their starters minutes, they've leaned into their depth as a strength more than any other team in these playoffs and it's paid off by sending them deeper into the postseason than they've been in a decade.
Of the 16 teams that made the playoffs, the Pacers lead in bench scoring by a significant margin with 33.0 points per game. The Magic, eliminated in the first round after a seven-game series with the Cavaliers, are second with 28.0 points per game. The Pacers bench is second in minutes per game, first in field goals made and attempted per game and first in assists per game. That Magic's bench is the only group that has averaged more minutes per game with 15.6 to the Pacers' 14.9.
Their gap in total production compared to the rest of the teams that have made the playoffs is even more drastic. Their 462 total points outpace second-place Minnesota by more than 150. Their 209 total minutes are 26 more than anyone else's. They have taken 97 more shots than anyone else bench and made 74 more. They're not a great rebounding group but they have more rebounds than anyone else's bench and their 126 assists are nearly double second-place Minnesota's 70. And they are still efficient, ranking second only to Boston in field goal percentage, knocking down 50% of their shots and ranking first among playoff teams in offensive efficiency.
Individually, Toppin and point guard T.J. McConnell lead all playoff bench players with 158 and 153 points respectively. Minnesota's Naz Reid (129), Dallas' Dereck Lively II (108) and the Knicks Miles McBride (106) are the only other subs with more than 100 playoff points. McConnell's 73 assists are well over double second-place Payton Pritchard's 27. McConnell, Toppin and rookie wing Ben Sheppard rank third, fifth and sixth among all players in bench minutes.
While many teams shrink their rotations down to seven or eight players for the playoffs, the Pacers have frequently used nine with Jackson also getting time along with McConnell, Toppin and Sheppard. That's lightened the load on the Pacers' starters. Pascal Siakam leads the Pacers in playoff minutes with 35.4 per game right ahead of Haliburton at 35.3 per game. They rank 45th and 46th among starters in the playoffs in average minutes. The Knicks had five players on the roster averaging more minutes than Siakam, which is seen as part of the reason New York ran out of gas with starters O.G. Anunoby, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson all suffering injuries over the course of the series.
"It's how this team is being built," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We're by no means at the finish line, but as we got into the beginning parts of last year we were playing nine or 10 guys. This year it was nine or 10 guys. In the playoffs at times it's been eight or nine guys, but we need to have that kind of balance and distribution, that statistical balance, to be successful. We have to have a high level of intensity, force, pressure that we try to put on the opponents."
And it speaks to Carlisle's belief in both his players and the process that he hasn't shifted that approach now that the stakes have increased. He's trusted his bench players all season and he hasn't changed that even when they're getting more minutes against opponents' starters as opposed to their second unit. There are usually at least a few minutes every game when McConnell, Sheppard, Toppin and Jackson are on the floor together with one starter,
"I think it shows that he has faith in a lot of people," McConnell said. "He has faith in our bench. He certainly has faith in the starters. To show that continued faith especially in the playoffs, I think it speaks volumes to who we have on the bench, all of us, and it says a lot about Rick in a good way."
That belief, the bench players say, is inspiring to them as individuals and as the group collectively. They've had games when they've struggled as a group including Game 3 in the semifinals against the Knicks when they shot a combined 7 of 22 from the floor for just 14 points. They were outscored 22-14 by the Knicks' bench and three of the four posted plus-minus figures of -17 or -19. But they rebounded in Game 4 to score a combined 57 points. McConnell, Toppin and Sheppard were all at least +21.
"I truly believe it's just confidence and trust from our coaches and players," Toppin said. "They trust us to go into the game when the starters come out and do our job. I feel like we do it very well and we do it efficient. Not only myself and not only T.J., Ben coming into the game. Zay coming into the game. Other guys coming off the bench coming into the game. Everybody knows their role and plays it to perfection or close to it."
Toppin's role is to get out and run, finish in transition and also hit outside shots. He's done that well, averaging 11.3 points per game on 54.4% shooting with 17 playoff 3-pointers. McConnell, who wasn't in the rotation on opening day in the regular season but proved quickly that the Pacers couldn't keep him off the floor, has played with the same speed and tenacity he has all season, scoring 10.9 points per game on 48.6% shooting and dishing out 5.2 assists per game.
Sheppard and Jackson have actually seen their roles increase. Sheppard didn't become a constant part of the rotation until Buddy Hield was traded away and Bennedict Mathurin injured his shoulder, but the rookie and No. 26 overall pick in the 2023 draft been a staple since thanks to mature and versatile defense and accurate if low-volume shooting. He's averaged just 4.1 field goal attempts per game in the playoffs and 41 of his 57 total attempts have been 3s, but he's made 18 of those, shooting at a 43.9% clip.
"He's playing beyond his years and he's been doing that all year," McConnell said. "Just one of the steals in the draft in my opinion. We're really thankful to have him. What he brings to the table is constant energy. He keeps the ball moving. If you leave him open, he's knocking it down and he can really guard. It's just awesome to see all his work coming full circle and the way he's playing is at a high level."
The 6-10 Jackson has also brought constant energy and size along with it. He didn't play much in the series against the Bucks as the Pacers were able to go small with Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the game. When Bucks center Brook Lopez came off the floor and Bobby Portis moved from power forward to center, the Pacers could use Siakam and Toppin together in the frontcourt. They expected to have to use Jackson more before Knicks backup center Mitchell Robinson was hurt, but even once he went down they stayed with Jackson. He averaged 12.6 minutes per game that series and shot 65.4% from the floor, grabbing 23 rebounds and blocking nine shots.
It served as a payoff for Jackson who has constantly seen his role change in his past two seasons as he's battled with Jalen Smith to be the backup center. Jackson appeared in 59 of 82 games this season and went through long stretches where he either wasn't playing or was playing limited minutes, but the entire process has taught him to stay ready, trust that his time will come and to not try to do too much when he gets in.
"I took these two years to work on my game and work on me generally, my mindset going into games," Jackson said. "It definitely humbled me a lot and it prepared me for this moment. It's shown the work I've put in. I know my role on this team. It's to play with a lot of energy, be that energy off the bench, rebound and play hard. I feel like I showed that the last playoff series."
The four of them have provided the Pacers a number of different lineup options. McConnell gives the Pacers three players with point guard experience including Haliburton and Nembhard and they can play any two or even all three of them together. Sheppard can step in at either the 2 or the 3 and guard ball handlers or wings. Toppin can handle any position from 3 in a big lineup to 5 in a smaller one and Jackson gives the necessary depth at the 5 behind Turner.
"We have a lot of different ways to attack," Haliburton said. "We play small ball sometimes with Pascal and Obi in there at the 5. We play big some times with Pascal, Obi and Myles. We can just mix it up and throw different looks at times, so that helps."
And all the options make for a team that doesn't have to stop running. The intensity of playoff basketball tends to force more possessions into the half court. The Pacers aren't scoring as much as they did in the regular season, but they still lead all playoff teams with 115.2 points per game They're sixth in pace, but they play the fastest of any team still standing and the second fastest of any team that made it out of the first round. They've also finished series strong, averaging 122 points per game combined in their two Game 6s in the first two rounds and their Game 7 against the Knicks.
"We just got fresh guys in the game at all times," Haliburton said. "I think that helps us play the way we want to play which is to wear on teams for 48 minutes and it's a seven-game series. It's not about one game. Even in the New York game, I remember when we got a question after Game 1, is it disappointing that you lost that game even though they're playing so many minutes. No, because it's not a one-game thing. It's how can we wear on them throughout the course of the series. It's a kudos to our group."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers lean into depth and 'best bench of the NBA' in playoffs
