Pacers Mailbag: Offseason, They Spoke w/ Tony East (Patreon)

Answering questions about the offseason for the Pacers 

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

As promised, after completing our run of player reviews, Tony East and I swapped places as hosts for a special pre-draft version of my monthly mailbag, in which we answered all of your questions ranging from specific free agency targets and what to watch for from Jarace Walker at Summer League to whether the Pacers should be in search of a third star or rely on getting as much internal development as possible. Plus, per usual, we also had some fun talking about my latest popsicle outing at the end, along with a few personal topics, including our passions outside of basketball. Enjoy!

In case you just want to skip ahead to your specific question, here are the relevant timestamps:

0:00 - Introductions

2:05 - Realistic free agent targets

11:14 - Guesses as to how the Pacers will manage the point guard rotation + Mathurin

18:27 - Selecting two Pacers to work together on a specific skill during the offseason

27:47 - Past examples of what players can add on defense over the summer

33:24 - What are the specific roles of the assistant coaches

37:52 - Aspects of Jarace's development at Summer League that could lead to playing time

43:34 - Can Jarace, Benn, or Nembhard grow into being the "third-best player on a title team" (a la Jrue Holiday, Andrew Wiggins, or Kyle Lowry)?

50:20 - Our passions and hobbies outside of basketball

53:45 - Do we believe in ghosts or UFOs + whether we've ever had paranormal experiences

59:15 - Small moments from the Pacers this season that only we would remember

1:06:35 - Jalen Smith and the trouble with evaluating composure

1:09:04 - Do the Pacers have what they need to return to the Eastern Conference Finals?

1:15:02 - If Jalen Smiths opts out, would Oscar Tshiebwe be an option at third-string center?

1:20:16 - Best chance at taking the "next step": internal development or consolidation trade?

1:24:49 - Virtual trip to Nicey Treat + how Tony spurned me for the other, much better Caitlin

1:29:47 - Thank you and Goodbye!