New to the NBA? 5 reasons to join the Pacers’ fandom in 2023-2024
By Tyler Key
2. Indiana’s coach, general manager, and ownership stability is underrated
What sets the Pacers apart from the other two finalists,” the Magic and Hornets, is that their foundation off the court is extremely solid, unlike Orlando and Charlotte. First, starting at the very top, Herb Simon has been the NBA’s longest-tenured owner in the league. After becoming the owner in 1984, Simon has been around for nearly 40 years.
Moving down the chain a bit, General Manager Chad Buchanan has been around since the 2017-2018 season and was the man who pulled the trigger on trading Domantas Sabonis for Haliburton. Buchanan stated clearly at the time that their front office wanted to build around Haliburton and hopefully see him become the next Reggie Miller in Indiana. While we are still waiting to see who actually “won” the Sabonis-Haliburton trade, Haliburton did make his first All-Star team last year, is improving exponentially, and is four years younger than Sabonis.
The man who will help him reach his full potential will be Head coach Rick Carlisle. He is still widely regarded as a top 10 head coach, most notably for his coaching with the Dallas Mavericks when they won the 2011 NBA championship. Additionally, he already coached Indiana from 2003–2007 and helped coach them to a 61-win season. Having an accomplished and experienced coach who has been with the franchise before is extremely beneficial to the growth of a young roster.