Fieldhouse Files: Scott Agness on the Indiana Pacers

Final preparations are underway at the St. Vincent Center in downtown Indianapolis as a dozen or so in player evaluation push to gather additional intel on players and who teams ahead of the Pacers may draft.

After going 48-34 and losing a four-way tiebreaker to decide the draft order, the Pacers will select 23rd and 50th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, which will be held Thursday evening at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. ESPN will again be televising the two-round draft, which will begin after 7:00 pm ET.

The Pacers visited with players at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, the NBA Global Camp in Treviso, Italy, and 29 draft hopefuls who came to Indianapolis for a workout.

The pre-draft workouts are less about the workout and primarily about three things: 1) Getting to know them better, especially in an off-court setting over lunch, 2) Medical evaluation, 3) Building a relationship.

Victor Oladipo is the star of the team, named to the All-Defensive First Team and Third Team All-NBA last month. He had a career year in his fifth season as a pro, a friendly reminder that it takes time and for a player to be in the right environment for a player to excel as Oladipo, the second overall pick in 2013, has.

Ryan Carr heads up the Pacers’ 365-day scouting operation. The Indiana University grad began with the franchise as a video intern for Larry Bird when he became head coach (1997), and then the Sumner, Washington native returned to the franchise when Bird became President of Basketball Operations in 2003.

One year ago, he was promoted from Director of Scouting to Director of Player Personnel.

As he joked on Tuesday, Carr was allowed out of his scouting cave to visit with media ahead of Thursday’s draft, where they are looking for fit as much as talent.

“We feel like we’d like to build a team where the sum is bigger than the parts,” he said. “When a guy like Victor buys into that and is that kind of player and person, it really helps a lot.”

This will be the first draft where Kevin Pritchard has been team president the entire year leading up to it. Bird stepped down and into an advisor role on May 1, 2017 and Pritchard was promoted. Bird enjoys watching basketball and evaluating players so he has been present for the six pre-draft workouts.

Watch Carr’s full comments, and read his answers to key questions below:

On his feelings before the draft:

“There’s good players at 23. We’re trying to figure out who exactly will be there, based on intel and what other teams like. It’s a good draft. I’d say it’s a little deeper than probably what we thought at the start of the year as different kids emerge and show that they’ve gotten better.”

On Thad Young’s Player Option and how not knowing his decision might impact what they do:

No, as far as I know, we don’t [know what he’s going to do]. I think in the draft, we’re drafting in the 20s, you’re trying to find the player that has the best chance to be an NBA player – at least a rotation player. I don’t think you’re too worried about trying to fit a certain guy in, not in the 20s.

If you look at the statistics over the year on hits and misses in the draft, you better pick the guy that you think has the best chance of having a career [in the NBA].

On whether there is an importance on drafting a player who ready to contribute:

This year, you’re balancing one-and-dones with overseas guys with four-year college guys.

Pacers All-Star Victor Oladipo will drive the 2019 Chevrolet pace car to start Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. He’s the first active Indianapolis athlete and just the third non-racing athlete to be given that honor.

Oladipo is arriving in Indianapolis on Friday and will get his first chance behind the ZR1 Pace Car. Chevrolet flew in Ron Fellows from Las Vegas to trainer Oladipo ahead of Sunday.

On this podcast, I sit down with Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles to discuss Oladipo’s involvement in the largest one-day sporting event in the world.

“One of our biggest challenges every year is who should drive the pace car,” Boles explained. “You want somebody who makes a statement, somebody that people recognize, and we started thinking through it. And for what Victor Oladipo did with the team, really what the entire team did and the way they represented the city of Indianapolis around the country, we thought here’s a guy that’s local, but on a national stage.

“He’s a perfect guy to drive our pace car and we can’t wait. It’s almost to the Pacers for the way they represented us this year.”

The 8-speed car has more horsepower (755) than an Indy Car, and can go 0-to-60 in 2.85 seconds. There’s a learning curve to it, and Oladipo with have former IndyCar driver Sarah Fisher by his side.

I’m honored to lead the #Indy500 field in the @TeamChevy Pace Car this Memorial Day weekend come out and support and I will see you there!!! @Pacers fans wave to me from @IMS grandstands on Race Day.— Victor Oladipo (@VicOladipo) May 17, 2018

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I welcome your questions and comments @ScottAgness on Twitter or via email.

Topics Discussed:

* Why Oladipo is a great fit

* The selection process between IMS and Chevrolet

* How Oladipo becomes an ambassador for the event

* Oladipo being the first active pro athlete in Indy to do so

* Chevrolet is flying Ron Fellows, their top performance driver trainer

Dave McMenamin is on the Cleveland Cavaliers beat, covering all things LeBron James and the Cavs for ESPN.

The Pacers’ first-round series begins in Cleveland where they’ll try to beat LeBron James in the playoffs for the first time. He’s ended their postseason run in five of the last seven years.

The Pacers, meanwhile, are pushing the underdog role, which suits them. Nobody picked them to have a successful season and here they are in the playoffs, in the 4 vs 5 matchup.

“Everyone is watching,” Lance Stephenson said. “We’re all up for this (series). It’s going to be challenging, it’s going to be hard, but I think we’re set for it.”

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I welcome your questions and comments @ScottAgness on Twitter or via email.

Topics Discussed:

* Drama, mid-season changes, and JR Smith throwing soup at a coach

* LeBron and Lance

* The Pacers embracing being the underdogs

* Both teams excelling in late-game situations

* Nate McMillan vs Ty Lue

* Kevin Love and the stigma around mental health

When there is something going on with the Golden State Warriors, Anthony Slater is one of the best sources for information and context.

He’s in his fifth season covering the NBA and his second on the Warriors beat. His first three seasons, beginning in 2013, were in Oklahoma City documenting Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and all things Thunder.

This season, he’s doing it on a new, rising platform: The Athletic.

It’s a subscription sports outlet and the Bay Area has been wildly successful. It helps that the Warriors are the talk of the NBA, featured four All-Stars and a likable coach, have faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the last three NBA Finals, and the website signed the authoritative Warriors writers, Slater and longtime beat reporter Marcus Thompson.

Slater is also consistent. After each game, you can expect: 1) postgame video interviews on Twitter, 2) a Stock Report video, 3) a thorough Five Observations piece, and 4) an All-82 podcast.

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I welcome your questions and comments @ScottAgness on Twitter or via email.

Topics Discussed:

* Why he joined The Athletic and how a subscription model is the future

* Why he used to fear going behind a paywall (6:44)

* How knowing both sides of Durant has benefited his coverage (7:48)

* How the Warriors have empowered players with media (10:13)

* The media-friendly Steve Kerr and managing back pain (16:47)

* His thoughts on the Pacers, the biggest surprise this season (19:40)

* Former Pacer David West (26:20)

The Pacers are 46-31, a season-best 15 games over .500 with five to play. They’re flirting with their second 50-win season since 2004 and have spent all season flying under the radar.

Because of that, they have appeared on national TV just once — and that was for Paul George’s return. So Chris Denari and the entire FOX Sports Indiana crew has had the honor of providing the visuals for every game this season.

Out west on a 10-day road trip, I recorded this podcast with Denari before he joined the team in a ballroom at the hotel to watch the NCAA Championship game between Michigan and Villanova. In his 12th year as the TV Voice of the Pacers, he has been with them every step of the way and offers a unique perspective.

Practice winding down in Denver. #Pacers and Nuggets tomorrow night on @FSIndiana. Pre-game starts at 8:30. @Pacers look for season-high 6th straight win and a 4-0 road trip. pic.twitter.com/S5E54Duxei— Chris Denari (@ChrisDenari) April 2, 2018

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I welcome your questions and comments @ScottAgness on Twitter or via email.

Topics Discussed:

* Life on the road, being away from family

* This Pacers team surprising everyone and outperforming all outside expectations

* Success on the road, and hitting their stride to start March

* Key league awards, and consideration for Nate McMillan and Kevin Pritchard

* This group’s resiliency and composure late in games

* Why predictions are lame

* Lastly, we answered questions from Twitter.

The Pacers secured a playoff spot Sunday in Game 74 of the season. They beat the Miami Heat 113-107 getting contributions across the roster. It was a microcosm for their entire season.

In the media room hours after the Pacers’ 43rd win of the season, surpassing last year’s total (42-40), Mark Montieth joined me to record this podcast.

You can read Mark’s work at Pacers.com, MarkMontieth.com, and look into his book, “Reborn,” on the early days of pro basketball in Indiana. (Click here to listen to our podcast about it.)

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I welcome your questions and comments @ScottAgness on Twitter or via email.

Topics Discussed:

* Clinching a playoff spot

* The players thriving off the doubt from outside the locker room

* Domantas Sabonis unlucky in re-injuring his ankle

* Darren Collison’s undervalued contributions

* Final portion of their schedule with six of eight games on the road

[Photo: Frank McGrath/PS&E]

Seeking depth at power forward, the Pacers added veteran free agent Trevor Booker to their roster officially on March 3.

After the Pacers concluded a four-game road trip, Booker watched the team beat Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back before practicing with the guys for the first time.

“He’s first and foremost a great guy,” said Bojan Bogdanovic, a teammate of Booker’s last season in Brooklyn.

“He’s the guy that we’ve missed that can fit perfectly in our system. We are switching a lot with the three and four so he’s also able to guard all of these quick guards. I think it’s a great addition for us. He’s a great defender, a great rebounder. He can be huge for us and I think he will.”

Booker has averaged 6.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in eight seasons as a pro.

The 30-year-old, 6-foot-8 power forward who will provide toughness and rebounding inside, then made his debut in a Pacers uniform on March 7th against the Utah Jazz, a team he played for from 2014-16. He had two points and two rebounds, but followed it up with eight points and eight rebounds the following night.

After his first game with the Pacers, I spoke with Booker in the locker room. Read that Q&A and/or listen to the podcast below.

On facing a former team, Utah, in his first with the Pacers:

It was pretty cool. I still remember their sets so I was calling them out while I was out there. It was just cool to play against those guys again and see some familiar faces.

What has the transition been like for you? The good news is you should be well rested playing your first game in the days.

Yeah it’s been different. It’s my third team this year so it’s definitely something different. But it’s something that I’m embracing. This team has welcomed me with open arms and they’re making an easy for me.

Being your third team this season, is that something you take personal or just understand that it comes with the business — and this time, you were able to be selective in when you ended up?

If you know the business you don’t take it personally. You can’t take it personal. Many teams were wanting me after I got bought out so I understand the business side of things. I’m just happy to be with a team that wanted me and that’s where I wanted to be.

What was the process like for you in deciding, maybe making calls. Did you call Bojan [Bogdanovic] at all to get a feel for this locker room?

Nah, I didn’t talk to him. But I talked to other people that knew the players and got a good feel for how my teammates were and how the locker room was.

What were some of the key ingredients that went into this decision?

Just lookin at style of play for one. How great of a locker room it was, how positive the team was. So all of those were factors.

[Subscribe to the Pacers Podcast on Apple Podcasts]

What have you done to try to accelerate the learning curve and quicken your study of this team?

Just trying to learn plays every day. I’m going over the playbook and trying to find chemistry with my teammates.

You probably already know personnel just from facing everyone. But maybe the habits and the playbook are maybe the two most important things.

Yeah, definitely so. I’m a big basketball guy so I watch League Pass every night so I’m pretty familiar with my teammates already. It’s just about building that chemistry though.

Is that something that you think will remain a challenge over the next two months as it’s really hard to make up in such a short time?

I don’t see it as a challenge because they’re helping me out a lot. They’re making it easy for me.

David Benner is in his 24th season as the Director of Media Relations for the Indiana Pacers. He’s the primary contact between the media and the team.

Benner, however, has been both sides. He spent 16 years as a writer for the Indianapolis Star, including eight years covering the Pacers. He moved over to his present role with the team in 1994, replacing Dale Ratermann. That transition included many changes for David, like an upgrade in his wardrobe.

He got his start working in sports as a manager for the Center Grove High School boys basketball team while a sophomore. “I’ve kind of been involved in sports ever since that,” he says.

Benner and his PR staff — that includes Krissy Myers and Wes Kaminski — twice (2010-11, 2012-13) has been the recipient of the annual Brian McIntyre Media Relations Award for consistently going above and beyond the call of duty to work cooperatively with the local and national media.

On this podcast, you’ll get to know Benner, one of the many faces behind the scenes. You may remember him for his famous pregame routine with Reggie Miller, who was superstitious so Benner had to deliver a Pepsi courtside and talk trash to him before each game.

Benner has worked daily with players like Ron Artest and Jeff Foster, coaches Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas, Rick Carlisle, and Frank Vogel, plus Larry Bird – the coach and executive.

Among the individuals the Indiana native has enjoyed working with is longtime executive Donnie Walsh, who had this advice in regards to not addressing hires and signings until … they are truly final.

“Until the thing is signed on a dotted line, it hasn’t happened.”

Subscribe to the Pacers Podcast on Apple Podcasts.

I welcome your questions and comments @ScottAgness on Twitter or via email.

Topics Discussed:

* His start at the Indianapolis Star as a copy boy – the best grunt work of his life

* Working alongside and with his older brother, Bill – at The Star and now again with the Pacers

* Transitioning from beat reporting to media relations

* Herb Simon and how his ownership style hasn’t changed

* NBA Twitter and media sourcing

* How this Pacers team may be the best group of all

* Stories on previous players, including Reggie and Ron Ron

* Labeling injured players as “interns”

* What he’d like to see change in media coverage

It will be eight weeks on Friday, March 2 since Slick Leonard, alone in his church’s parking lot, slipped on ice when unloading boxes to recycle. He forgot to put his car in park, slipped, and shattered the trochanter in one of his hips and says the pain has been “a monster.”

Slick was admitted to a central Indiana hospital and placed in room 529, the same number of wins he has as Pacers head coach.

“I don’t think anybody wants to be locked up [inside] like this. I think in my lifetime, I can’t ever remember being laid up this long.”

The Hall of Famer isn’t exactly sure when he’ll be back but he does feel better each day as the pain decreases. He has been extra cautious, though, since going into cardiac arrest on the Pacers bus at Madison Square Garden back in March, 2011. Since that time, he has not traveled to road games for radio broadcasts.

Leonard, in his 32nd season as the radio analyst on the Pacers Radio Network, looks forward to rejoining Mark Boyle, who he believes is the best play-by-play radio announcer in the league, behind the microphone soon.

“I’ll be back,” Leonard said.

View this post on Instagram Hanging out with Slick in his hospital room. He’s doing well. Check out the room number. Amazing. A post shared by Mark Joseph Boyle (@mark_j_boyle) on Jan 7, 2018 at 11:50am PST

Subscribe to the Pacers Podcast on Apple Podcasts.

I welcome your questions and comments @ScottAgness on Twitter or via email.

Topics Discussed:

* On his fall and what went through his mind

* How he’s stayed busy – with friends and watching the NBA

* Not taking any day for granted at 85 years old

* His cardiac arrest episode in New York

* Visits from his work partner, Mark Boyle

Kurt Streblow is in his fifth season as an emcee for Pacers home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. This past week, he was invited to emcee several events at All-Star Weekend 2018 held in Los Angeles.

Streblow credits Pacers Vice President of Game Operations Dean Heaviland for not only hiring him years ago, but for also recommending him to the league to be one of several emcees across the 30-team league to contribute at the NBA’s featured annual event.

On Friday, he worked the Rising Stars practice that included Pacers center Domantas Sabonis. The next day, he hosted the Special Olympics Unified game and then later All-Star practice. In all, he spent six days in Los Angeles.

Remember, Indianapolis will host All-Star Weekend in 2021.

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I welcome your questions and comments @ScottAgness on Twitter or via email.

View this post on Instagram Interviewing the @pacers Rising Star, Domantas Sabonis! #nba #indianapacers #nbaallstar #kickstartrisingstars #emcee #host A post shared by Kurt Streblow (@kurtstreblow) on Feb 16, 2018 at 4:38pm PST

View this post on Instagram 🔥 @sirfoster #nba #allstarweekend #thisiswhyweplay A post shared by Kurt Streblow (@kurtstreblow) on Feb 19, 2018 at 7:31pm PST

Topics Discussed:

* How he first got started with the Pacers, despite an early hiccup

* Chemistry with the Pacers’ VP of Game Operations and how helpful that is

* The unfamiliar aspect to the job that was a challenge he overcame

* Why he wore Pacers gear throughout All-Star Weekend

* The importance of social media in his field

* What more he would like to do