SO SAD TO SAY GOODBYE: Joe Mazzulla has been banned in allsport activities for ………..see more

SO SAD TO SAY GOODBYE: Joe Mazzulla has been banned in allsport activities for ………..see more

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ader has been with the franchise since 2021 — it’s his second stint with the blue and gold after guiding the team from 2003-07. He was also an assistant coach with the Pacers in the 1990s. His ties to the city and team are longstanding.

This past season was his best in his current stint with the organization. Carlisle steered a building Pacers squad to a 47-35 record before leading a run to the Eastern Conference Finals. It was his best postseason performance since 2011. The offensive style he built, led by guard Tyrese Haliburton, is one of the fastest in NBA history, and it led to immense success and efficiency last season. Indiana had the second-best offensive rating in the regular season and best in the playoffs.

“I think he’s been phenomenal. He’s accepted essentially a team that’s rebuilding down a different path. He’s a Hall Of Fame coach, he’s won a championship. He could have easily said ‘I’m not going to coach a team that’s going to take a longer term look’. To his credit, he’s embraced it and he’s loved it,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said of Carlisle earlier in the offseason