Scott Agnes

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53 appearances 1 recordings 1 series first heard Dec 2024 last heard Dec 2024

Scott Agnes’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

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The Athletic NBA Daily · Who is Defensive Player of the Year? + Pacers up to speed? · 21 Dec 2024 podcast

For sure, because there was a lot going on, even going back to really training camp and then leading into the first game of the season where, in his first five-minute stint, James Wiseman, who may have been your backup center this season from third string, ruptures his Achilles. And then 10 days later, your true backup center in Isaiah Jackson suffers an Achilles.

I don't think this team has had more than one Achilles that I know of in the last 15 years, and to have two... in the first 10 days of the season, that is complete shock right there. Then it's almost like a trickle-down effect or like it becomes contagious. I don't know.

But their top three wing defenders, and they're not a great defensive team as it is, their top three wing defenders suffer injuries, and so now they have a big setback there. Compound that with their start of the schedule, which was road heavy for the most part. Right now is the true barometer, Andrew. Right now we're really going to have a feel for this team after the next three weeks.

They're on a road trip right now before Christmas, go back out on the road, come home for a couple playoff teams. So we'll know exactly where this team is and how they are doing probably by about January 8th or 10th.

No, I do expect him to be a backup center because they didn't have that. They only had Miles Turner, which some would even argue he's not even a traditional center, right? He's playing more away from the basket. He's not a great rebounder. He's become a better rebounder, and that's probably the biggest flaw if you simplify it, is this team is not a good rebounding team. Secondly, though...

It's probably defense, and that's what it's been probably for the last three or four years. Now, they've gotten better. You alluded to the fact they're ranked 23rd in defensive rating right now. I think like 10 days ago, they were 29th. So they have been much better over these last couple of weeks.

I think core correlating with that fact is, um, Andrew Nembhard, the guard coming back and, and he's been such an influence already. He's not a guy that's going to put up the numbers or have the double doubles or a 30.9 necessarily. Now in his rookie year, we saw what he did a game winning shot against the Lakers.

And I think he did have like a big performance in golden state, which is notable because they're playing in golden state next week. But, um, Andrew Nembhard's return has probably been the biggest factor in their recent success. And then to the greater point here, I think they've done a much better job now of starting to settle in, get a little bit more comfortable with what they are.

I think to an extent. The challenges back then, they were flying under the radar both as a team and as a player. What we're seeing more so now is teams scheming against it, especially this physicality that everybody is talking about. Tyrese hadn't complained about it. He says, I love basketball, so this is good for the game.

Rick stood up on his behalf and said, hey, look, I'm trying to get a technical out there certain games because... This team is out here swarming him from half court where he can't even move. It's like a defensive end is all over him, not able to get the ball.

And again, to reference Andrew Nembhard, him returning to the lineup helps alleviate that stress and pressure for him to be the only ball handler other than TJ McConnell primarily when he's out there.

You go back to what's working right now, I think a lot of it is Tyrese clicking a little bit, and they've had multiple instances here in the last two weeks, which I think is a big factor of having three and four days between games. We just had that with the NBA Cup, and Tyrese... for the most part, has not really had significant time off for the last two years.

That's a big factor that I always try to emphasize. He played with the USA World Cup team, went right into the magical season last year, felt pressure all season long, not just to show up for his team, but for himself by playing the 65 games and eventually qualifying for All-NBA. And he later, after the fact, admitted, yeah, of course, I was not going to miss as many games as I needed to.

I was going to make sure... I got those 65 games in. Well, he had that hamstring injury in January. Then he had another injury in the playoffs that kept him out of the final two conference finals games. Then he had a couple more injuries during Team USA and his training to get ready for this season. So he has not been completely healthy and therefore also didn't have a...

A beneficial offseason, I'd argue, right? Like where you're working on your game, where you're balancing rest with working on things that may be counters to how teams are defending you. So Tyrese clicking has has been significant. And yes, I do think he'll get back to more of what he was. But I think you add Pascal Siakam into the equation and he's kind of that best player at the moment.

Yeah, so he's been the one benefactor of all those wings being out because he would have been playing off the bench But instead here, he's now getting the starting role and starting minutes. And so, first of all, I think, Andrew, the number one thing has been his rebounding.

Many games now, he's chasing after the rebounds, almost stealing rebounds, like we previously saw here several years ago with Lance Stevenson. Yeah. And Ben would just go get them. And you can tell that it's been said, but you can also visibly tell that's been one of the things that the coaching points have made a point on.

The other thing is, I think his vision and utilizing that vision has been much improved. He's used to being the best player out on the floor. He's used to being the focal player who can put his head down, drive to the basket, laid in. Well, oftentimes the best is just moving it around the perimeter, just keeping the ball moving. And so I,

I think some of his passes and his vision and just utilizing it. It's always been there. I just don't think he's ever went to it. Has been the other thing. And all along, he continues to be kind of the best player on this roster, getting to the basket, drawing contact, and getting to the foul line.

This is easy. It's the most coveted position, 6'8 wing. That's what they need. They need a Paul George. Okay, well, that's easy. It makes it easy for Pacer fans, so I continue to reference it. But that's the type of guy, a two-way player, who can do a little bit of everything.

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