Caitlin Cooper

Fun stat to consider before tonight's game vs the Bucks: Percentage of Tyrese's touches that touched the paint 2024-25: 11.49% (11.35% w/ Turner on the court) 2026-27: 14.92%

No Nembhard vs. Milwaukee. Wrote about how important it's been for the Pacers to play with two point guards at once. That's been more difficult without McConnell. It'll be even more difficult tonight on the second night of a back-to-back without Nembhard.

Defending in liminal space. Peel switching from half-court. Botching guard-to-guard screen coverages. Passing when a defender loses a shoe, & not enough going "right." On why IND needs everybody playing like Jalen Slawson - but especially Oubre & Walker: www.patreon.com/basketballsh...

Wish creative labor would stop being treated like a free vending machine or readily available food recipe. Using the same ingredients ignores the time and mental energy that goes into crafting the recipe in the first place.

Tiago Splitter drew up one of the best ATO plays of opening night (h/t: @andrewkurzeja, @the_hoop_huddle on X, @caitlinmaycooper.bsky.social)

Smart hack from NOP for generating OREB: Driving the double side of the floor with the opposite dunker spot filled and the shooter placed at the wing/45. When the big rotates over on the drive, the crack back rotation from the wing defender is nearly impossible.

For nearly a five-minute stretch to start the 2Q, the Pacers were held scoreless. For nearly a four-minute stretch to close the game, the Pacers were basically unstoppable -- playing repeatedly out of the same alignment. My column, on the how and why of what differentiated those two stretches.

Be like @caitlinmaycooper.bsky.social and get out and vote. It will turn you into a basketball genius! (I’m still waiting)

big day

I talked into a microphone with @tonyreast.bsky.social for Happy Hoopsday!

let’s hoop

Season preview podcast with @caitlinmaycooper.bsky.social is up! 🎧: locked-on-pacers-daily-podcast-on-the-indiana-pacers.simplecast.com 📺: youtu.be/om9x0e9LdHU?...

Hey guys, myself & @samsonfolk.bsky.social answered a bunch of questions about the Pacers - Zu/Oubre vs. Turner/Mathurin - Tyrese's progress - allowing fewer paint points - biggest reasons for optimism - changes for Siakam - play-call gamesmanship let's mailbag! www.youtube.com/watch?v=JENs...

curiosity > certainty in nba analysis full video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JENs...

Consider these very Pacers-like rankings for the Pacers during preseason: fastest average time to first action: 1st shortest average touch length: 1st passes per 100 possessions: 1st They are still playing *fast* - their way - with Zu

Rick Carlisle, on the significance of Tyrese’s left-handed drives and left-handed floater (which I wrote about below), via The Fan Morning Show:

Tyrese pulling from deep in both directions, working the mid-range, driving and finishing left — multiple times. Quite the display in his return to OKC, even if only preseason.

On the preseason process of solving where Zubac spaces and when, whether in the dunker or out to the corner, potentially leading to more solutions in the long-term www.patreon.com/basketballsh...

Wrote about the Pacers looking less (figuratively) green while looking for "The Green" On the ongoing process of turning the corner on spacing Ivica Zubac to the corner, and the unexpected changes for Pascal Siakam with a change at center, in the dunker: www.patreon.com/basketballsh...

"The Green" happened tonight. Zubac spaced out to the corner for the rifle concept. Skip pass into uphill hand-off.

Wrote about the new possibilities the Pacers "opened" themselves up to in the preseason opener Featured: The symbolism of Tyrese calling for the debut of "open" as a SLOB. IND ranked 16th in SLOB PPP & 5th in mid-range frequency on those plays in 2024-25 www.patreon.com/basketballsh...

Thought this looked familiar. RAM-Elbow-Split-Exit. 2-man action out of RAM series for the big to flash to the elbow. Flows into split action with an exit screen to open space at the nail for the short-roll. Turnover here, but this is the same play the Pacers opened games with for Sabonis.

Other new possibilities: - the Nembhard-Walker-Oubre-Siakam-Toppin lineup - Walker opening himself up as the rolling screener - lots of handoffs! - 2-3 tandem zone - showing on double drags On the return of the brightside in the return of Mr. Brightside www.patreon.com/basketballsh...

Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers play basketball today.

One of my favorite annual traditions. @danfavale.bsky.social is always thorough, endlessly inquisitive, and immensely talented. Very grateful that he continues to bring me on for the Pacers preview year after year. Enjoy!

Free episode: IND Season Outlook 2026-27 with @C2_Cooper Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybUur6IE10k Or listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ind-season-outlook-2026-27-with-caitlin-cooper/id986901174?i=1000793392137 https://open.spotify.com/episode/7KvvLybYe4B4Jzwq550YTM

One of my favorite annual traditions. @danfavale.bsky.social is always thorough, endlessly inquisitive, and immensely talented. Very grateful that he continues to bring me on for the Pacers preview year after year. Enjoy!

📋 Indiana Pacers 2026-27 Lookahead w/ @caitlinmaycooper.bsky.social Hali's back Zubac’s fit Siakam! Oubre's fit OREB, the bench, lineups, needs, predictions, MORE 📺 youtu.be/ohuT6aoOWME 🍎 apple.co/4hLZOl1 ✳️ shorturl.at/FdECL 🔒 AD FREE: patreon.com/hardwoodknocksnba/posts/indiana-pacers-171557890

so @caitlinmaycooper.bsky.social was one of the very first guests we ever had on hwk. beyond grateful the real-life 🐐 keeps coming back after all these years to teach, entertain and just generally carry each pacers show