Indiana Pacers Media Availability | December 11, 2025

Indiana Pacers Media Availability | December 11, 2025

Rick, what makes Dean Garrison the right move for you guys? Uh, he’s done a good job and and you know, right now this is what makes sense. Uh, did Quinn practice this week and do you think he’ll be able to play for you guys tomorrow? Uh, he is going to play with a boom tonight and he’ll join us tomorrow in Philadelphia and um with a possibility of playing tomorrow if needed. What just how much can he add there? certainly seen him make a lot of impact on you guys over the last couple years. Bring him back into this group. Just need as many healthy bodies as we can’t can get and he’s a very good player. I mean, you know, when he last played, he had two he had a few really good games. You know, the game against Golden State, he was tremendous. Um the game against Milwaukee where he got hurt, he was having a terrific game there, too. So, um you know, it’s it’s been a while. Um he’s worked hard and you know the minutes tonight I think really help for rhythm and conditioning and return to play and so uh and look from there we’ll just we’ll just go from there. to go back to Garrison. What’s stood out to you about how he just responded over the last 10 days about the first took a while to get a rhythm going and what have you like about how he kind of settled into it? The first 10 days was really about him getting reconditioned to training camp conditioning which he had with New York. But then, you know, when you sit for a month, even if you’re at home working out on your own, it’s hard to simulate NBA practices, NBA training camp practices, um, and NBA games, you know. So, but worked really hard. Um, there were there were strong signs that he was close. So, uh, we kept him on board and and, uh, you know, the first game on the second 10day, I think he had two or three threes. And look, we know he has gravity. He’s a guy that has to be accounted for on a scouting report. Um he’s a competitor and u he he he fills a need for us right now. So how much has the gravity stood out to you? I think that’s it’s been noticeable basically how much opponents are going to like commit to him to make sure he doesn’t get that I mean if you don’t guard him he’s going to score, right? That’s it’s pretty simple. And um so you know guys like that change the game. Um You know, I coached Reggie Miller for many years. I coached Dirk Nitzky for uh 11 out of my 13 years in Dallas. Those guys are in the Hall of Fame for a reason. They they change the game because it it it changes the geometry of the court. Um and the more guys you you have on the floor that have to be guarded far out, um it opens up the game. This obviously whole numbers game has been very difficult. I mean certainly Jeremiah gave you guys some pretty good what did you like about what he did for you during this period basically? Yeah, it’s it was not easy to let him go. Um he’s a very solid player. Uh he has all the qualities that we like in a player for for our program here. He’s got integrity. He goes hard. He is an attention to detail guy. He’s a he’s a preparation guy. And you know, we’ll see. Um there’s a chance that perhaps he could end up playing with a boom or I know he has some other opportunities as well. He’s he’s making that decision now. Your coach has 999 wins. What has he meant to you as you join this team? Um yeah, he’s been he’s been a real help. Um obviously amazing career. He’s won at the highest level, coach Hall of Famers. I mean, yeah, it’s just a good position to be in. And he’s been super like communic communicative like since I’ve been here, just talking to me, making sure that I’m okay. Um stuff that he wants to bring to the table. Like I mean, it’s just been it’s just been great. Like uh definitely um something to admire from coaches, you know, cuz sometimes, you know, it’s not it’s not the easiest, you know, to have a a coach just really care about the players and be out there and and trying to do everything for us to be successful. So, um, it’s great. It’s amazing career and I’m sure that it’s more wins coming, too. Is there a feeling amongst the players to try to go get this and get it out of the way for him and have him celebrate? I mean, I think we we got we got I mean, it’s amazing accomplishment, but I think, you know, obviously the way our season is going, like, we need anything we can get. So, I think our focus is is always to win cuz we we need everything we can get. So, I think that’s that’s the the feeling. I don’t think nobody’s talking about that, which I’m sure is going to be nice, but um we have we have bigger problems to fix in terms of who we want to be as a team and continue to have the momentum that we’ve been having and um defense and and all the stuff that we know is important. So like that’s what we focus on. I think one teach one thing TJ said about him yesterday was that people that last the longest in this league are are people that can adapt and that’s how have you noticed that just in your time here? Yeah, no, it’s it’s been great. I mean, obviously, um I’m sure I was a little bit different from the players that he had before when I came in. So, um I had to kind of like figure out a way from it took took me also just like, you know, accepting everything. But I think him finding a way to get me to do the stuff that I’m comfortable doing while doing the stuff that the team is comfortable doing or what they want. So, which is a great um it’s not easy to do. So, it takes um skill and it takes a coach, you know, being willing to do that and also like being humble enough to to learn and and and adapt and get better. What’s the pressure about how he’s adapted during this season as tough as it’s been as many moving parts as you guys have had and how much you guys have changed? Yeah, it’s been it’s been hard for all of us and I think, you know, for him just I think continuing to um stay positive. I mean, he’s like I said, he’s he’s texting me, he’s calling me, you know, like, and I think other players can say the same. Um, staying in touch, making sure that we we we have our minds in the right places and um and he’s willing to do different things and um adjust like all that stuff, which is which is huge. What are the the messages that have stood out to you from that? What are some of the things you said over the course of this kept your mind right? Uh, no. I mean, I think it’s is just the most basic stuff is just like keep keep going. Like we got to keep focusing on the main thing, the right things. Um, and and just like our disposition and energy going to games. Um, you know, and and again like he’s he’s just for me I like his communication like just being able to communicate to all of us um and get us on the same page. We started with Garrison. Oh, sorry. Let’s do one more then we can You started with Garrison a few times. How much did you feel the spacing that the shooting and grabbing provided? Yeah, I mean I think shooting is always is a big thing in the league. So if you have a shooter out there, it always helps and um you know I think just want him to feel comfortable, you know, and and it takes time to feel comfortable. But I think he’s getting the hang of it and and we just hope that we can continue and can make a lot more shots for us. So that’s that’s that’s what it is. I think you said after your first day, you were almost surprised to get the second one after how it went. What do you feel like was or made you so much more effective in these last 10 days that led to this seeing the result? You know, obviously the the confidence and faith they have in me, you know, I’m thankful that they gave me another 10day after that first one. I mean, just it’s tough, you know, sitting at home for a while. So, you know, it took me a minute to get back into it, get in shape, getting, you know, playing shape. Um, so, you know, I’m, you know, I’m thankful they gave me that opportunity. It can’t be easy to come to a team and be immediately expected to produce. How much did that extra time make it more possible for that to happen and figure out where you needed to be spaced and all those kinds? Yeah, it was huge. I mean, they they run a, you know, good offense. So, it’s it took a minute to figure out where I’m supposed to be the plays and this and that, but the the end of the day, you know, I got to make shots and uh, you know, I didn’t that first 10 days, so I’m thankful, you know, I was able to not couple down in the second. Did you feel a lot better conditioned, I guess? I mean, could you see the Yeah, I mean, it was night and day. I mean, that first 10 days, it was it was tough to get up and down the floor. I mean, you haven’t haven’t played in forever and so, you know, just you can’t replicate that. They’re big dudes, you know, the physicality and running up and down. It just it takes a minute. What’s um just this whole experience been like basically like obviously, you know, Jeremiah obviously came through the same situation and obviously he’s, you know, looking for a job at this point like what what is the uncertainty like basically and how do you kind of just push that? Yeah, it’s tough. I mean he he played great as well Jerry and uh great player and it’s just you know it’s the business of basketball it’s hard you know and it’s hard to you know keep your confidence and stay ready and u you know it’s just when you’re in positions like like that you know you just got to do everything you can to stay solid and do everything you can to help the team. As someone who’s built a lot of their career as a shooter, do you feel like there’s more to spacing than just that? Like people are afraid to leave you open versus where you’re standing, where you’re moving and as someone who built their a lot of their career on shooting. You know, spacing is a big part of what you bring as well. Do you feel like that’s more than just people standing close to you as a defender? Like is it moving where you are? Rick always talks about the geometry of the court. I’m curious how you kind of think about that. Yeah, I mean when you’re when I’m running off pin downs or running like a lot of focus is on me. So that just that opens things up for Pascal, Drew, Ben, those guys that are attacking mainly. So it’s just when you have defenders like the uh the big man’s got to be up on screens, you know, he can’t just be in a drop. So it’s just all the movement and and the defense having to pay attention to that, you know, helps take the pressure off some of those guys that have the ball.

Rick Carlisle, Pascal Siakam and Garrison Mathews spoke with the media after practice on Thursday.

0:00 – Rick Carlisle
3:33 – Pascal Siakam
7:24 – Garrison Mathews