Pacers Have Perfect Leader to Navigate Second Straight ECF

The Indiana Pacers have made their second straight Eastern Conference Finals. Taking care of the Cleveland Cavaliers in just five games might be the most impressive series any team has had in the playoffs so far.

Indiana plays a very unique style of basketball. They love to get up and down the court with a great deal of speed, making sure their offense is down the court before the opposing defense can get set up.

Tyrese Haliburton thrives in those situations since he is a pass-first point guard. He's empowered to do what he does by the perfect leader for this team, Rick Carlisle.

Carlisle has a wealth of experience that has helped this young team. He made two NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks, winning the title in 2011 while coaching Dirk Nowitzki.

His experience helps this team calm down when things get a little too frenetic. Better yet, he gets on his team when they make bad mistakes defensively.

Fans who watch this team regularly know that a timeout is coming if they allow an easy basket, no matter how early in the game it might be. It's one of the things he hates the most.

That standard is one of the reasons why the Pacers are where they are for the second straight year. The players have completely bought into what Carlisle wants them to do.

Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are the leaders of this team on the court. Siakam has won a championship before, and is the only player in the rotation who has done so.

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Siakam is an extension of Carlisle on the court. He has the proper temperament to help calm down some of the younger guys when things go wrong.

The Pacers are full of confidence as they head into the Conference Finals. They still don't know who their opponent will be yet, but that doesn't matter.

Indiana knows that if they play the way they are supposed to, there's not a team in the league that can beat them. That's what Carlisle has instilled in them all year long.

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