“What a time for the city.. This team is AWESOME,” wrote ESPN’s Pat McAfee after the Indiana Pacers’ Game 6 win against the New York Knicks. History was created after the clock ran out, as the Pacers entered the NBA Finals for the first time in a quarter century. Despite this accomplishment, however, the struggling journey hasn’t stopped for the Pacers. The expectations have just started to be formed, in abundance, upon the team. Therefore, Rick Carlisle made sure to make his players aware of the gravity of the upcoming days.

The official X account of the Indiana Pacers highlighted an inside look at the team’s locker room after the win. The head coach congratulated the team on their win and Pascal Siakam on being named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. However, he also highlighted the importance of the team’s next series by saying, “This will be my sixth time in the NBA Finals. This is one of the greatest stages in all of sports.”

Carlisle got to his main point by stating, “Now listen. The whole state of Indiana, and you got a lot of people in the whole country now, that are following us. We have a responsibility to keep playing the right way and keep playing together. Keep playing hard and keep playing for each other. So, hey, let’s keep it going, man. Let’s keep it going.”

To be the only conference team out of a field of 15 to reach the Finals carries expectations in itself. To be the first squad to take that team there after 25 years only increases the pressure. The Pacers entered the 2024-25 postseason with 50-to-1 odds of winning the title. Rick Carlisle played an important role in getting the team to this stage. Right from the start, he prioritized defense. This became useful later in Game 6 after the intensity on defense culminated in 18 New York turnovers. Of those 18 turnovers, 34 points were scored in a 17-point win.

Furthermore, as reported by IndyStar journalist Dustin Dopirak, the Rick Carlisle system of offense is one that is designed so that it is not easily recognizable by opponents. A playbook with set plays, designed to be used less for specific situations and more for the players on the floor to flow and vibe, has allowed the team’s offense to be in better condition than before. Everyone from Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam to Andrew Nembhard and Obi Toppin has become an efficient scorer, thereby putting them on an equal footing with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

And the coach gave his all to the team. Now, he depends on them to finally bring the Larry O’Brien trophy home for the first time! By 2021, Rick Carlisle was one of only 14 individuals to have won the NBA championship, both as a player and as a coach. He won the title as a player with the Boston Celtics in 1986. As a coach, he led the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA championship in 2011. Now, he has a chance to repeat history. Therefore, while fans would be putting their faith in the players, a couple of them, including a former NBA star, are placing it on the coach.

Jamal Crawford believes Rick Carlisle Will Lead the Pacers to the title

Throughout his 20-year career as an NBA player, and switching between 9 different teams, Jamal Crawford never got to play under Rick Carlisle. After retiring, however, Crawford began seeing the games from a fan’s perspective, giving him another insight about Rick Carlisle. Having seen all of that, and his recent run with the Indiana Pacers, the former player is confident that if anyone can lead the team through the Finals, it is him.

Crawford recently appeared as a guest on an episode of the Pat McAfee Show. “[Rick] Carlisle has won a championship, he knows what it takes. Oh, and by the way, he’s not trying to change them. Young guys want to get up and down the court, they want to play fast.. they’re playing with such energy, if they can advance, it’d be such an unbelievable Finals because of the contrast of styles, with the defense vs. potent offense.”

Everything that Carlisle has imbued into the players will be put to the test in the Finals. If the Thunder-Timberwolves series showed something, it is that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co. know how to defend. OKC has two members of the league’s All-Defensive team — Lu Dort (first team) and Jalen Williams (second). Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso also proved themselves as efficient ball-stoppers. For Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers, the need would be to create ample scoring chances.

“This is no time to be popping champagne,” said Carlisle after Game 6 win. “Um, and, you know, when you get to this point of the season, you know it’s two teams and it’s one goal. And so, um, you know, it becomes an all-or-nothing thing, and uh, we understand the magnitude of the opponent.”

Do you think Rick Carlisle can deliver this win for his team? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.