Indiana Pacers trying to make the most of week off between regular season and playoffs

The Pacers begin their first-round series on Sunday

Mar 1, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) sits with his teammates on the bench. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020, and the NBA has changed since then. That season was the first one in which there was a Play-In Tournament, but it had a different structure and timing than it does now.

In that season, the Pacers played their final regular season game on Friday, August 14. They started the playoffs after a three-day gap on the following Tuesday. It was a fairly quick transition from the scheduled games into the postseason.

Now, the Play-In Tournament is longer. It's a multi-day event, and the playoffs can't start until it's over. It ends on Friday, and Indiana's first playoff outing is on Sunday. Their regular season ended the Sunday prior. That means the Pacers have a week off between games, and they have to navigate the rest vs rust conundrum.

"We have to strategize what to do for this week-long period. It effectively becomes a mini training camp," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said on Wednesday. "We've got to figure out the right amount of hard work to do and the right amount of rest and rehab, strength work."

This gap in games is just one day shorter than the All-Star break, which is actually referred to as a break. The time between the regular season and the playoffs doesn't have a name, but it's almost as lengthy. Indiana is trying to figure out the best way to navigate it.

Carlisle is leaning on his staff to help plan the week. He is delegating responsibilities. The coaches are coming up with a practice schedule and a daily plan for activities.

"Whatever it is, I like it," Carlisle said of the new schedule through a smile. He went on to recall his team's situation early in the 2003-04 postseason. Indiana swept the Boston Celtics in the first round, but their second round opponent — the Miami Heat — had a longer first series. That meant that the Pacers had a whopping 11 days between postseason rounds, and that made their preparation and planning important.

"This is probably the greatest preparation crucible that there is in sports," Carlisle said of the NBA playoffs. Once the games become best-of-something series, the stakes and battles become more intense. "As far as everything else, just work to help these guys prepare for an elevated level of everything," Carlisle said of the week.

This gap between outings both helps and hurts every team in the same way. Indiana's opponent — the Milwaukee Bucks — also has to balance rust and rest with a week off. There is no advantage or disadvantage that is generated from the timing.

But it is still unique and requires strategy. "What I like about it is that it gives us the rest," Pacers center Jalen Smith said of the week off. He specifically benefited from the gap — his sprained ankle is now less painful. "The bad thing about it is competitors want to play."

Everyone in the league is healing this week. That's great for the league and its product. It's good for the Bucks, who are dealing with an injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo. It's helpful for Indiana, who have seen Smith heal and also get a week without games for star guard Tyrese Haliburton — he battled a hamstring injury during the season. Every team gets the same healing advantage from the practice time, though it impacts some teams more than others.

The Pacers have more opportunities to help their younger, less experienced players get up to speed on what to expect in the postseason. They will be prepared and ready to go against Milwaukee. There is no rushing into things.

And that lands the discussion on the final balancing act that this week forces teams to consider. How much time should a squad spend on working on their own strategies and strengths vs preparing for their opponent? What amount of the week should be dedicated to each side?

"We get together as a staff and talk about it. I really believe that in today's game, there's a lot more focusing on your own," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "Certainly prep for an opponent... but we all have the same problems. We're all trying to stop transition. We're all trying to take away layups at the rim. We're all trying to take away the good threes. A lot of that stuff comes back to basic concepts," the head coach added. He thinks the base principles on defense, and the basics of basketball in general, are the important things right now. Covering up weaknesses will be key.

They have a week to figure out how to do all of that. The Pacers are facing the new playoff scheduling for the first time, and they are trying to make the most of it.

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