The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

1. 1
   Number 1: Expectations for Hali + Did Pacers Give Up on Mathurin Too Soon?

   Alex Golden is joined by Derek Schultz for a lengthy, loaded conversation about the Indiana Pacers as the start of the 2026-27 season continues to draw closer. A good portion of today's show centers around Tyrese Haliburton and one of the biggest questions facing the Pacers: What are realistic expectations for Hali after missing 16 months of NBA basketball? Alex and Derek discuss what success should look like for Haliburton this season, how patient fans need to be as he works his way back into form and what Indiana truly needs from its star point guard to compete at the highest level. Then, the guys dive into Bennedict Mathurin signing with the New Orleans Pelicans. At the price Mathurin ultimately signed for, should the Pacers have any regrets about moving on? Would his scoring have been valuable on this current roster, or was Indiana right to prioritize other players and roster needs? From there, Alex and Derek zoom out and look at the rest of the Eastern Conference. Which teams pose the biggest threat to Indiana? Where do the Pacers stack up against the conference's best, and which potential matchups should concern them the most? Finally, the guys look WAY into the future with a fun exercise: Which current Pacers will still be on the roster five seasons from now? Who is essentially untouchable? Which young players could become long-term pieces? And which familiar faces might be gone as Indiana's roster continues to evolve? Haliburton expectations, Mathurin's departure, Eastern Conference threats and a look five years into the Pacers' future—a loaded episode with Derek Schultz! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

   August 31, 2026·47min
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2. 2
   Number 2: If Trey Murphy Becomes Available…Do the Pacers Go All-In? + Zubac vs Turner (Mailbag Pt. 2)

   Alex Golden and Mike Facci are back for Part 2 of the September Mailbag, and today's questions center around one big theme: How good can this Indiana Pacers team actually be? The guys start by discussing what Indiana learned from last season and how those lessons could translate now that Tyrese Haliburton is back. After everything this group experienced without its star point guard, could the adversity ultimately make the Pacers better equipped for another championship run? Then comes one of the biggest questions of the entire mailbag: What happens if Indiana is rolling at the trade deadline and Trey Murphy III becomes available? If the Pacers already look like a legitimate championship contender, do you risk disrupting a rotation that's working to add another high-level talent? Alex and Facci discuss the balance between upgrading the roster and protecting chemistry, including the lessons that can be learned from the Danny Granger-Evan Turner trade. Would Murphy raise Indiana's long-term ceiling enough to justify shaking things up? Or, at some point, is trusting the better team more important than acquiring the better individual player? From there, the guys dive deep into Ivica Zubac. How different will Indiana look going from Myles Turner's style of play to Big Zu? How will Zubac fit alongside Haliburton? And just how concerned should Pacers fans be about spacing with a traditional center occupying the paint? The defensive conversation continues with Andrew Nembhard. After Nembhard was left outside Game Theory's Top 25 defenders and honorable mentions, Alex and Facci discuss where they believe he belongs among the NBA's best defenders. Finally, could this Pacers roster be just as successful playing for a different coach and in a different system? Or is Rick Carlisle's fast-paced style so ingrained in the identity of this group that changing it would fundamentally alter what makes Indiana special? Championship expectations, trade-deadline dilemmas, Zubac vs. Myles, Nembhard's defense and Rick Carlisle's system—a loaded Part 2 of the September Mailbag! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

   September 03, 2026·32min
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3. 3
   Number 3: Eastern Conference Standings Predictions: Where Do the Pacers Stack Up?

   It's finally time! Alex Golden and Mike Facci reveal their 2026-27 Eastern Conference standings predictions, ranking all 15 teams from top to bottom and explaining exactly why they have each team finishing where they do. The guys go team-by-team through a loaded East, discussing the contenders they believe can make a run at the No. 1 seed, which teams could surprise people, who might take a step backward and where the Indiana Pacers belong in the mix. How much will Indiana improve with Tyrese Haliburton back? Where do the Pacers stack up against the other contenders? Which teams are Alex and Facci higher or lower on than the consensus? And which spots were the toughest to predict? But the conversation doesn't end once the standings are set. After revealing their 1-15 rankings, Alex and Facci use their predicted standings to create the potential first-round playoff matchups. The guys go series-by-series before focusing on the Pacers' projected opponent and debating whether they like Indiana's draw. Would this be an ideal path for the Pacers? Which potential matchup would they rather avoid? And based on these standings, what could Indiana's path through the Eastern Conference look like? A fun episode discussing every team in the East, making predictions and looking ahead to what could be a fascinating playoff picture. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

   August 27, 2026·49min
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4. 4
   Number 4: Predicting Pacers Player Awards

   Alex Golden and Mike Facci are looking into the future and handing out some hardware on today's episode of Setting The Pace! The guys go through the NBA's major individual awards and look at which Pacers are actually appearing on the early betting odds lists—and which Indiana players are surprisingly nowhere to be found. For each award, Alex and Facci discuss which Pacer has the best chance of entering the conversation and what would need to happen this season for them to become a legitimate contender. But they don't stop with the NBA awards. The guys then turn the exercise into a Pacers-only awards show, predicting who will be Indiana's MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year and more! Which Pacer is poised to make the biggest leap? Who will be the most impactful player off the bench? Which player becomes Indiana's defensive anchor? And who ultimately takes home Pacers MVP? A fun offseason exercise looking at the betting markets, projecting individual performances and making predictions for which Pacers will take home the hardware at the end of the 2026-27 season. Alex Golden and Mike Facci are looking into the future and handing out some hardware on today's episode of Setting The Pace! The guys go through the NBA's major individual awards and look at which Pacers are actually appearing on the early betting odds lists—and which Indiana players are surprisingly nowhere to be found. For each award, Alex and Facci discuss which Pacer has the best chance of entering the conversation and what would need to happen this season for them to become a legitimate contender. But they don't stop with the NBA awards. The guys then turn the exercise into a Pacers-only awards show, predicting who will be Indiana's MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year and more! Which Pacer is poised to make the biggest leap? Who will be the most impactful player off the bench? Which player becomes Indiana's defensive anchor? And who ultimately takes home Pacers MVP? A fun offseason exercise looking at the betting markets, projecting individual performances and making predictions for which Pacers will take home the hardware at the end of the 2026-27 season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

   August 28, 2026·30min
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5. 5
   Number 5: Jarace Likely to Be Traded? + The Perfect Trey Murphy Trade Package (Mailbag Pt. 3)

   Alex Golden and Mike Facci are back for Part 3 of the September Mailbag, wrapping up this three-part series with questions about trades, Jarace Walker, the future of the Pacers' core, Rick Carlisle and some fun debates to close out the show! The guys start by revisiting Bennedict Mathurin's departure. After Mathurin signed with New Orleans for $8 million per season, should the Pacers have any regrets about how everything played out? If Indiana knew a year ago that Mathurin could be retained at that price, would things have gone differently? And when comparing him to Kelly Oubre Jr., who is ultimately the better fit for this Pacers roster? From there, Alex and Facci look at the financial future of the team. As this roster becomes more expensive, could players like Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, T.J. McConnell or Obi Toppin eventually take more team-friendly deals to help keep the core together? That leads directly into some Trey Murphy III trade talk. If Murphy becomes available, what type of package would Alex and Facci realistically be willing to give up to bring him to Indiana? Then, it's time for a lengthy Jarace Walker discussion. How big of a leap can he make this season after the way he finished last year? Will he finally secure consistent rotation minutes? And perhaps most importantly, what are the odds Jarace is still on the Pacers after the trade deadline? The guys also discuss whether Dalton Knecht could make sense as a potential target and look further into the future with a question about Rick Carlisle. If Indiana doesn't win a championship during this current two-year window, could Rick remain the Pacers' head coach beyond it? Finally, the mailbag gets weird—in the best way. Which Pacers jersey are Alex and Facci most excited to see this season? Who wins a game to 7 between Alex and Facci with the fate of the universe on the line? And who are the three greatest dunkers in Pacers history? Mathurin regrets, Trey Murphy trade packages, Jarace Walker's future, Rick Carlisle's timeline and some ridiculous debates to finish things off—a fun conclusion to the September Mailbag! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

   September 04, 2026·39min
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