FIBA-Themed Mailbag (Plus, Pacers and more!)
Added 2023-08-25 12:16:00 +0000 UTCBy: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper
With the FIBA Men's World Cup beginning this weekend, it seemed fitting to honor the occasion with red, white, and blue popsicles in a nod to Tyrese Haliburton playing for Team USA. As such, after catching a free Kroger gift card at the Indiana Fever game I recently attended, this month's mailbag has once again been combined with the patron-only popsicle content and features a trip to the grocery store to buy supplies on the cheap. So, join me as I answer your questions, ranging from lighter fare about my favorite role players and book recommendations to the nitty gritty about the basketball played by both the Indiana Pacers and Team USA. Naturally, this all builds up to a highly competitive FIBA-themed popsicle cook-off with my sister.
In case you just want to listen to your specific question or skip ahead to our *obviously* gourmet popsicle concoctions, here's the timestamps:
0:00 - Introductions
2:00 - My favorite non-Pacers role players
6:33 - Who will be the most improved returning player for the Pacers?
9:53 - Will more teams start applying full-court pressure against the Pacers?
14:49 - Thoughts on the defensive fit of a Walker-Turner frontcourt
18:20 - Defining success for Bruce Brown
20:47 - What changes will Rick Carlisle make to maximize the current roster?
24:06 - What's the most interesting difference between the NBA and FIBA? Is there a player who is better suited for one style over the other?
26:22 - The case for starting Jalen Brunson over Tyrese Haliburton
29:12 - Arrival at Kroger
31:45 - Back on the road (deciding on the stakes for the popsicle cook-off)
32:25 - Subtle changes for how the Pacers could make a leap, rather than just a jump
34:24 - Expounding on my "hot" take from my appearance on Stadium
38:08 - How concerning is Bennedict Mathurin's lack of passing?
41:01 - Can FIBA-Tyrese attract some of his FIBA teammates to small-market Indiana? Who should be his top recruit?
47:13 - My favorite books about basketball
53:27 - Would my dad and I ever consider coaching with each other at my old high school?
1:01:23 - Popsicle Showdown!!!
1:05:59 - Thank you and Good-bye!
Comments
No one affected Tyrese's approach in the PnR last season more than Jaden.
Caitlin Cooper
2023-08-28 14:13:12 +0000 UTCLoved the Jaden McDaniels answer. He would’ve been my answer as well
Zach Aldridge
2023-08-28 14:09:03 +0000 UTCYup
Nicholas
2023-08-28 00:14:58 +0000 UTCThanks, Dylan. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Caitlin Cooper
2023-08-27 13:36:10 +0000 UTCThat was a fun mailbag, great as always
Dylan Jacobsen
2023-08-27 06:11:03 +0000 UTCI predict either Brown or Mathurin will eventually be a sixth man. I further predict that Buddy will eventually generally start if he is not traded. In addition, either Nembhard or TJ will get traded at or prior to the deadline.
Robert T Ives
2023-08-26 02:50:41 +0000 UTCThat's why this is going to be such a big and important year for Benn, as well as Nembhard.
Caitlin Cooper
2023-08-26 01:00:57 +0000 UTCOof. Luckily, there is no such thing as a bad Outshine fruit bar, only some that are better than others. That said, there are several that are better than the raspberry, in my opinion. Grape is in the top tier.
Caitlin Cooper
2023-08-26 00:59:40 +0000 UTCThat rundown of the Pacers' draft picks after Myles is a very short, effective way to lay out how the team got on the dreaded treadmill of mediocrity. If a team: 1) won't take swings to trade future firsts for players now and 2) can't attract even starter-level free agents, those draft picks are the only shot to add talent.
Adam Bonefeste
2023-08-25 23:38:12 +0000 UTCI bought two boxes of grape last weekend and they both turned out to be mislabeled boxes that were actually raspberry. It was brutal.
Adam Bonefeste
2023-08-25 23:28:23 +0000 UTCThat's going to be a fun match-up
Caitlin Cooper
2023-08-25 22:52:01 +0000 UTCappreciate the love for beef stew. i'm gonna really enjoy your coverage of the pistons/pacers series the season!
cloudy days
2023-08-25 22:19:03 +0000 UTCHe's the best!
Caitlin Cooper
2023-08-25 21:32:35 +0000 UTCI have you to thank for how I acquired David's book -- so, thank you :)
Caitlin Cooper
2023-08-25 21:32:13 +0000 UTCI coincidentally started reading Spaced Out over the summer but didn’t get far (could be that I *insert witty title-based pun*). Definitely plan to get back into it. Great work as always, and I appreciated the transparency of a (coach) father/(player) daughter (even just for a game) hypothetical. I coached with father/son duo and loved watching how that dynamic evolved over time. After hearing Father Who Wishes to Remain Anonymous, the analytical apple doesn’t seem to have fallen far from the tree.
Lifenthusiast
2023-08-25 21:18:46 +0000 UTCNice book recs! I can also confirm that Spaced Out is worth reading!
Stephen Noh
2023-08-25 18:24:30 +0000 UTCOf course! Everyone always asks great questions, but there was a lot of fun topics to think about this month. I enjoyed how many were submitted about the World Cup, including my answer about Melo.
Caitlin Cooper
2023-08-25 15:26:14 +0000 UTCI was thankful to hear your analysis of what made Carmelo Anthony’s game look even better on international floors. I never cared to watch Melo in the NBA as a fan but he is my favorite men’s basketball Olympian of all time. The international game seemed to lean into to his strengths and bend around the weaker parts of his game. I never really understood why as a casual fan… I just understood Melo never looked better than when he represented the USA. Thanks for explaining why.
naptowndrew
2023-08-25 15:22:13 +0000 UTCI grabbed a box of the lemon while I was there. You don't often see those as a solo flavor without being in a variety pack. Otherwise, I generally gravitate toward strawberry as my staple box.
Caitlin Cooper
2023-08-25 14:29:04 +0000 UTCIf you could only buy OutShine Bars at Kroger, what flavors would you buy?
Frank M Cook
2023-08-25 14:22:32 +0000 UTC
