The Indiana Pacers coaching staff had a meeting on Friday afternoon ahead of their battle with the Detroit Pistons. They needed to finalize a plan for their rotation to combat Detroit's size — the Pistons started two large frontcourt players in Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley III and had Jalen Duren and Isaiah Livers coming off the bench. Their frontcourt is big.
The Pacers were without Aaron Nesmith, so they had to hatch an idea to keep up on the interior. Their design was simple. Head coach Rick Carlisle opted to deploy two centers at the same, and before Friday night, they hadn't played together all season.
The combination was Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson, two young bigs who have produced all year. But they hadn't played in a lineup together since March 24 of last season. In the past, the duo has had success. But this is a new-look Pacers team with a new identity. They needed to produce at the same time if Indiana was going to take down Detroit.
"We had a situation tonight where Jalen and Isaiah played together because of their size... they came up big," Carlisle said after the game. He said that Aaron Nesmith's absence combined with Detroit's size, physicality, and athleticism made the adjustment the correct idea. "Jalen and Isaiah have a good feel for playing together. It was a key element of the game."
With 5:08 on the clock in the first quarter, Jackson entered the game. Smith was already on the floor. At that moment, the Pistons were on a 10-2 run and had taken a four-point lead. Indiana couldn't afford to let the game get out of hand early.
Their bench unit filled with size was important. Less than two minutes later, the Pacers were back in the lead. Jackson and Smith scored seven-straight points for the blue and gold to get their team back in front.
The frontcourt expanse was an important factor. Duren, a bulky and strong center, was in the game from Detroit. That type of player has been tough for Jackson in the past. This time around, he was excellent. He made Duren battle down low and earn everything, and he did it without fouling. His physicality and positioning were terrific, and he finished plays. Jackson was everything Indiana needed him to be.
Smith, meanwhile, spent his time at the power forward spot on Friday. He was on the perimeter more and often had to contain Livers. Smith played a ton of minutes at that position last season, including quite a few as a starter. He has experience in the role, though a lot of it came alongside Myles Turner.
Alongside Jackson, Smith had 285 total minutes before this season — the two bigs had some, but not a ton, of experience together. The blue and gold were +39 in those instances prior to 2023-24.
This year's team is different, though, and plays an altered style. Smith's floor spacing was more important on Friday, as was his defense away from the basket. Livers and Stewart, two of his most common matchups, can shoot the ball from deep.
Jackson and Smith were both in unique, and challenging, roles. But they were great. "I was impressed. I think that they both know their role and they both play their role very well," Turner, the team's starting center, said after the game. He has seen both bigs take steps forward over the last two seasons, and he's been dazzled by their growth on the perimeter.
In the first quarter, lineups featuring both reserve bigs were +12. That number stayed the same until halftime, and at the break, the blue and gold actually trailed by two points. They would have been down big time if it wasn't for their double-center bench pairing.
"Me and Isaiah were playing together throughout the whole offseason when we were going to offseason pickup. At the end of the day, I can play both positions," Smith said of the duo. He believes in the fit between the two players.
Smith thought a key factor in the success of the pairing was that they could switch everything on the interior. That made it easier for the team to always have a good matchup containing Detroit's larger frontcourt.
By the end of the night, lineups with both Jackson and Smith were +5. They helped the team surge ahead and did enough in the second half to hold off the Pistons. Indiana dominated down the stretch of the game to earn a 136-113 win, and the young centers played significant roles.
"We all know what Isaiah can do and how much effort he brings into the team," Smith said. "It was just a matter of time until that happened."
In the end, Smith finished the outing with eight points and six rebounds in 21 minutes. Jackson matched those numbers exactly and added three blocks in his 19 minutes. He had a highlight week for the team recently and has filled in well during his opportunities. Friday night was another example of that, and he did it in a new situation alongside Smith.
In search of answers against a team that had a size advantage, the Pacers coaching staff turned to a new unit. It worked to perfection. Indiana doesn't win Friday night without that choice in the game planning process, and they don't win if Jackson and Smith don't play excellent games in altered roles, either. Everyone involved stepped up to guide the Pacers to victory.
More must-reads: