Last season, the Indiana Pacers won over most NBA fans as they charged through the playoffs, eventually losing in the Finals to the juggernaut Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games, although Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles remains a great “what if.”
Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Rick Carlisle emerged as the faces of the Pacers, although Pat McAfee, of College Gameday, ESPN, and Indianapolis Colts fame, was their most vocal fan throughout the run and was invited to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on more than one occasion to hype up the fans.
At times, McAfee seemed to be a distraction, although his fandom helped elevate some Pacers’ players to the national stage, and Carlisle wants him back next season.
GettyPat McAfee on SiriusXM radio.
Rick Carlisle Weighs in on Pat McAfee
On multiple occasions during the playoff run, McAfee was given a live microphone to address the Pacers’ hometown crowd.
In Game 4 of the Finals, McAfee went a little long, delaying the game. The Pacers would go on to lose despite boasting a halftime lead, and McAfee was blamed by some for killing Indiana’s momentum.
Carlisle thinks that’s an unfair assessment.
“You know elements of what we do that are just a zoo and that you can’t even begin to hope to control them,” he said on a September 25 episode of the Zach Lowe Show. “Pat McAfee has been such a great advocate for the Pacers. His presence at games, he gets on the mic and fires up the crowd pretty regularly in the fourth quarter. It’s helped us win way more games than it’s caused us to lose.”
The Pacers are expected to take a step back next season after losing Myles Turner to free agency and Haliburton to injury, but they want McAfee to stay in the building.
“We need Pat McAfee doing what he’s doing and to continue to do what he’s doing,” said the coach.
Indiana Pacers to Take a Step Back
Both the Pacers and Boston Celtics are expected to struggle to make the playoffs, and even that’s a stretch. Indiana will be without its best player and will lose a key contributor. On top of that, Eastern Conference rivals got better this summer.
The New York Knicks added a new head coach. The Atlanta Hawks bolstered their depth and improved the frontcourt. The Orlando Magic pulled off a blockbuster trade. The Detroit Pistons added more shooting. The Milwaukee Bucks stole one of Indiana’s better players.
Even if the Pacers trotted out a full and healthy lineup next season, their chances of repeating as Eastern Conference champs would be slim.
While Carlisle is eager to see Gainbridge Fieldhouse full and bumping next season, he knows that the expectations have been lowered. However, like the Celtics, the Pacers are expected to be back in force in 2026-27 after Haliburton recovers, and with their “never say die” mentality, it’s impossible to overlook them.
Indiana’s win total, according to FanDuel, is set at 37.5, good for tenth in the East, tied with the Miami Heat.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Rick Carlisle Sends Clear Message to Indiana Pacers’ Fan Pat McAfee appeared first on Heavy Sports.