Basketball, She Wrote Offseason Mailbag Road Trip

Blacktops & Popsicle Shops, anyone?

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

With this being the offseason portion of the offseason, there seemed like no greater time than the present to go on another excursion, combining the monthly mailbag with the patron-only popsicle content. For July, I decided to make the trek to Fort Wayne, where I toured around various parks and answered your questions about the Pacers, basketball, and much more (I did not expect to be thinking about prime Roy Hibbert in the year 2023!). Midway through, I also took a break to visit my new favorite popsicle hang, Laz's Cuban Cafe, which is as delightful as the hand-crafted Colombian Delights that are featured on the menu. I will definitely be going back.

This month, between patron messages and replies to my prompt on Twitter (yes, I'm still referring to that app as Twitter), I received 45+ questions. I tried my best to answer as many as I could, and I hope you enjoy the popcast. I continue to be overwhelmed by the support for my independent writing venture. As such, it has become a joy to return the favor, shining my tiny spotlight on independently owned restaurants here in Indiana.

In case you just want to listen to your question or see a specific location, here's timestamps from the trip:

The Drive

0:00 -  Introducing the popcast

2:15 - If the Pacers trade a back-up big, what should they prioritize?

5:47 - What happened to the Indy Cornrows podcast?

6:45 - Should the Pacers play Daniel Theis if he's still on the roster at the beginning of next season?

9:13 - Could Theis - or any of the other back-up bigs - potentially play the four?

12:01 - How should the Pacers balance developing their younger players and being as competitive as possible in the short-term?

19:57 - If Bennedict Mathurin works on his mid-game during the offseason, in what ways could he incorporate those skills as part of the offense?

23:14 - Who will have the better career, Bennedict Mathurin or Andrew Nembhard?

26:14 - Specific indicators that would convince me the Tyrese Haliburton-era Pacers are gong to be the real deal

31:27 - Gauging the upside of Tyrese Haliburton and Obi Toppin as pick-and-roll partners

AbsorbALL court mural at Reservoir Park

34:12 - Welcome to Fort Wayne! The awesome court mural, which depicts the hill the court sits next to, was designed by local artist, Andre Portee. The court restoration project, including new backboards, painted rims, and new benches was made possible, in part, by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (when they were still located in Fort Wayne). I love this place!

Promenade Park

35:33 - Projecting which aspects of Jarace Walker's game will and won't translate

38:30 - Identifying skill-based improvement areas for Bennedict Mathurin

The Landing

42:27 - Are the Pacers employing a surge to get to the playoffs while also building around Haliburton for the long-term?

Headwaters Park

44:33 - What is the most optimal pathway to retaining Nembhard as a Pacer long-term while optimizing his current toolset?

47:28 - Tips for watching basketball and identifying plays

49:48 - Recommended resources for learning basketball jargon and terminology

Laz's Cuban Cafe

52:11 - Arriving at my new favorite popsicle hang

52:55 - Trying the Colombian Delights featured at Laz's Cuban Cafe

Lakeside Park and Rose Garden

54:42 - Comparing the offense of an "all-defense" lineup featuring Nembhard-Brown-Nesmith-Walker-Turner to the defense of a "run-and-gun" lineup with Haliburton-Hield-Mathurin-Toppin-Jackson

59:10 - Best guess for the hierarchy of the Eastern Conference and what it would take for the Pacers to make a leap; is there a scenario where they improve their record but don't improve their place in the standings?

Electric Works

1:02:10 - Thoughts on Ben Sheppard as a defender

1:04:01 - Predictions for the starting lineup, main bench group, and closing time; plus, pondering whether, in addressing defense, cutting can make up for shooting

1:09:49 - All things Myles Turner: What I'm most looking forward to regarding his development, how concerning is cross-matching, and whether the Pacers rely too much on him on defense -- especially if Mathurin and Toppin are starters

1:15:56 - Assessing the fit of Bennedict Mathurin, both offensively and defensively, with Tyrese Haliburton

1:18:34 - Trying to imagine prime Roy Hibbert on the current Pacers

1:22:00 -  The one player I always wished the Pacers traded for but never did

1:23:30 - My plans for All-Star weekend in Indy

1:24:36 - Thank you and Goodbye

1:25:20 - But wait, there's more! Be sure to stay after the credits for a flashback, retraction, and very sincere, heartfelt apology to (redacted).