Setting The Pace: A Pacers Podcast

On today's 11th episode of Center of Attention, Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at the Boston Celtics and discuss the centers they have on their roster. Neemias Queta has blossomed in a larger role as the starting center for the Celtics but will this improved play be too costly for the Celtics in 2026 free agency? Would this be a good FA target for Indiana?

Luka Garza in 26 games (at the time of the recording) has been playing extremely well in a limited role. He too is an unrestricted free agent in 2026. The guys also look at...

Alex Golden is joined by Tyler Smith of Indy Sports Legends to discuss the Pacers wire to wire victory over the Miami Heat. Andrew Nembhard was elite with 29 points, 9 assists and 0 turnovers, Jarace Walker had a sensational game and Indiana as a collective group found a way to counter all that Miami had.

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On today's 10th episode of Center of Attention, Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at the Memphis Grizzlies and discuss the centers they have on their roster. Zach Edey is a talented big man, currently dealing with an injury, but in his 11-games of play this year, he has looked great! Jock Landale has exceeded expectations and is very affordable. Santi Aldama is a name that does not get talked about enough, and is someone that could be intriguing for the Pacers and lastly, Jaren Jackson Jr., Indianapolis native, is a name that everyone would love to see in...

On today's 9th episode of Center of Attention, Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at the Dallas Mavericks and discuss the centers they have on their roster. Anthony Davis is a talented player, but would Indiana be willing to pay what it will take to get him? Also, is he worth that cost? Why and why not?

The guys also look at Dwight Powell, a Dallas Mavericks legend, Daniel Gafford, a name that has already been linked to the Pacers and the 21-year-old center, who is out for the year with a foot injury, Dereck L...

Alex Golden is joined by David Cole to discuss the Indiana Pacers defeating the Charlotte Hornets 114-112 after Siakam's go-ahead bucket and McConnell's iconic "McConnell" backcourt steal. This win also was the 1,000th for head coach Rick Carlilse, who has been waiting for this day for over a month. At the end of the recap, we dive into the impact the Trae Young trade has on the Pacers this season and look ahead to the Pacers upcoming schedule. 

You can check out all of Alex's written work at Pacers on SI. Here is his written game recap f...

On today's 8th episode of Center of Attention, Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at the New Orleans Pelicans and discuss the centers they have on their roster. Derrik Queen has been a standout rookie, Yves Missi has been less notable stat wise in his sophomore year, Kevon Looney isn't playing much and somehow DeAndre Jordan is still in the NBA.

The guys discuss if any of the centers would be worth trading for, what their current and future contract situation is, how likely it is that they would be traded, and how Indiana could acquire them...

Alex Golden is joined by Bob Kravitz, from BobKravitz.com to discuss the Indiana Pacers future, specifically with Benn Mathurin and Jarace Walker. The NBA Trade Deadline is slowly approaching, but it will be here before you know it. The guys discuss why a trade before the deadline will help them in the long run. In addition to Mathurin and Walker, as well as the glaring hole at starting center, Bob and Alex look at the Top 4 in the upcoming draft and discuss who they like the most at this moment right now.  

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On today's 7th episode of Center of Attention, Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at the Houston Rockets and discuss the centers they have on their roster. Alperen Sengun is a young 23-year-old stud, but they also have veterans Steven Adams and Clint Capela. 

The guys discuss if any of the centers would be worth trading for, what their current and future contract situation is, how likely it is that they would be traded, and how Indiana could acquire them via a trade or free agency. At the end of each discussion, the guys give each team a...

Mike Facci and Bob Schmidt, from Fear The Fro, join forces to recap the Pacers 13th straight loss and the 21st win of the year for Cleveland. The guys look at what went wrong for the Pacers and what went right for the Cavs? The guys also discuss Indiana's poor 4th quarter, the landscape of the Eastern Conference and Indiana's decisions at the trade deadline. 

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On today's 6th episode of Center of Attention, Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at the San Antonio Spurs and discuss the centers they have on their roster. Victor Wembanyama is the most untouchable player in the NBA, but what about Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk or Bismack Bioyombo? 

The guys discuss if any of the centers would be worth trading for, what their current and future contract situation is, how likely it is that they would be traded, and how Indiana could acquire them via a trade or free agency. At the end of each discussion, the g...

Alex Golden is joined by Derek Schultz to discuss the Indiana Pacers 6-30 start and how the effects of tanking can weigh on a team. Derek shares his thoughts on whether or not this lost season will have ripple effects for the future and what makes this so hard for veteran leaders like Pascal Siakam and a Hall of Fame level coach in Rick Carlisle. After that, the guys discuss if the Pacers should be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline and what Indiana should do with Benn Mathurin. To wrap it all up, Alex vents to Derek...

On today's 5th episode of Center of Attention, Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at the Washington Wizards and discuss the centers they have on their roster. Alex Sarr is the 2024 1st overall pick, Marvin Bagley III is a former 2nd overall pick, and they have two-way big man, Tristan Vukcevic at the center spot. 

The guys discuss if any of the centers would be worth trading for, what their current and future contract situation is, how likely it is that they would be traded, and how Indiana could acquire them via a trade or free agency. A...

Alex Golden and Mike Facci recap the Pacers 135-127 loss to the Orlando Magic where three things cost them this game: Fouls, Points in the Paint and 2nd Quarters. They also discuss Benn Mathurin being out with a thumb injury for an undisclosed time, and what that means for Benn and the rest of the guys on the roster. 

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On today's 4th episode of Center of Attention, Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at the Miami Heat and discuss the centers they have on their roster. Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware are two terrific players, and they have 1 two-way player, Vladislav Goldin, at the center spot. 

The guys discuss if any of the centers would be worth trading for, what their current and future contract situation is, how likely it is that they would be traded, and how Indiana could acquire them via a trade or free agency. At the end of each discussion, the guys g...

Alex Golden is joined by Bradley Knight of the Pacers Post Up to recap tonight's game and discuss:

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On today's 3rd episode of Center of Attention, Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at the Charlotte Hornets and discuss the centers they have on their roster. Ryan Kalkbrenner is the Hornet's starting center, but they also roster Mason Plumlee, Moussa Diabate and 1 two-way player (PJ Hall) at the center spot. 

The guys discuss if any of the centers would be worth trading for, what their current and future contract situation is, how likely it is that they would be traded, and how Indiana could acquire them via a trade or free agency. At the end of e...

Alex Golden is joined by Casey Johnson to hear his Top 5 items on his Indiana Pacers New Years Wishlist. The guys dive into a ton of different things but focusing mostly on using the final 48 games of the season to find answers for the upcoming season!

Join the group chat over at Chat BCC to play Pacers Trivia and interact with other Pacers fans!

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On today's 2nd episode of Center of Attention, Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at the Atlanta Hawks and discuss the centers they have on their roster. Onyeka Okongwu is the Hawk's starting center, but they also roster Kristaps Porzingis, Asa Newell, Mo Gueye and 2 two-way players at the center spot. 

The guys discuss if any of the centers would be worth trading for, what their current and future contract situation is, how likely it is that they would be traded, and how Indiana could acquire them via a trade or free agency. At the end of e...

The Indiana Pacers fall to the Orlando Magic, 112-110, extending their losing streak to 10 games. Rick Carlisle spoke about "petty nonsense" being a first half issue and said that he's done with it. Alex Golden goes solo on today's show to recap the game, highlighting a key change at halftime, getting to see Nesmith, Nembhard, Siakam and Mathurin together for an extended run, seeing Shepp back in the lineup and more.

Then in segment 2, Alex shares his Top 10 Moments from the Indiana Pacers from the 2025 calendar year. 

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On today's 1st episode of Center of Attention, Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at the Orlando Magic and discuss the centers they have on their roster. Wendell Carter Jr. is the Magic's starting center, but they also roster Goga Bitadze, Mo Wagner, Jonathan Isaac (small ball center) and 2 two-way players, at the center spot. 

The guys discuss if any of the centers would be worth trading for, what their current and future contract situation is, how likely it is that they would be traded, and how Indiana could acquire them via a trade or free agency. A...

Alex Golden and Mike Facci are joined by Tony East of Locked on Pacers to discuss the elephant in the room, what do the Pacers do with Benn Mathurin? The guys weigh all the options, discuss the reasonings for every move and why this is such a unique situation. Alex, Facci and Tony also dive into young guys getting more opportunities, like Furphy and Jones, as well as Sheppard's role and future, Jarace's inconsistent season and needing to find an answer at the center spot long term. 

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Alex Golden and Mike Facci are back to recap the Pacers 126-119 loss to the Rockets, which now extends their losing streak to 9-games. The guys dive into how poorly this team looks around Siakam on a night-to-night basis and why even adding an Aaron Nesmith back into the mix is not changing the overall results of how the team is playing.

Then, Alex came up with a "10 Things List" of things he would rather do than watch the Indiana Pacers get blown out again!

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Alex Golden goes solo on today's show to discuss Pacers Losing Streak Extending to 8 Games with losses to Boston and Miami (recapping both). What a Nesmith return means for the team! Huff Shooting Woes + why Jarace's Season has been so disappointing. 

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Alex Golden and Mike Facci join together to play a game of True or False. Alex came up with these 10 statements and the guys have to determine whether they're true or false and explain their decision!

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Setting The Pace listeners, if you enjoyed today's conversation, do us a favor and check out our friends, The Pacers Post Up Podcast with Brad and Ryan by clicking this link!

Show Notes - The 12 Days of Centers series comes to a close with a full-circle finale — and some much-needed clarity. We’re joined by Alex Golden from the Setting the Pace podcast to revisit every center we’ve discussed throughout the series and stack them up. Alex brings a tier-based approach to the conversation, helping separate realistic options from dream scenarios — and short-term fits from long-term solution...

Alex Golden goes solo on today's show to discuss the Pacers 17-point loss to the Bucks, Pascal Siakam's Frustrations with Pacers 6-24 Record and diving into individual Stats During the 6 Game Losing Streak.

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Alex Golden and Mike Facci are here to talk about a game that was truly the Tale of Two Halves!  Indiana came out slinging and everything was falling through the net...however once the halftime break took place, the Pacers basket theoretically had a lid on it, and the blue and gold could not maintain their 20-point lead!

To end the show, Alex talks about how poor the Pacers have been, and the guys do a spinning of the tank-a-thon wheel, where only pain and misery can join us this season! 

Tune in and be su...

Alex Golden is joined by the Facccinator, Michael J. Facci, to share their Pacers Christmas Wishlist for the rest of the season! Facci shares his 3 first, then Alex shares his 3! 

Please join our Setting The Pace group chat in the Chat BCC app. Click this link to join or type in Pacers.chat in your URL. 

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Alex Golden goes solo on today's show! Alex starts things off giving a quick rundown of the game, and then dives into the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Furphy had a great individual game and scored a career high! James Wiseman is BACK!? WHAAAAT? He played and he played well too! The Pacers had their worst 3PT shooting night of the season, Mathurin and Nembhard were QUIET all game and Indiana had no answers for New Orleans inside the arc. Some of these stats shared will shock you. Lastly, Alex discusses one player he thinks if the Pacers...

Alex Golden is joined by Ben Brooks to discuss the Pacers heartbreaking loss to one of their rivals, the New York Knicks, 114-113. Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam had phenomenal games, but the Knicks fight from their second unit kept them in the game once Indiana had established double-digit leads. We discuss all that came from this game and more!

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Caitlin Cooper is BACK to answer the remaining questions Alex and Facci have for her about the current and future of the team!

Here are questions 6-10 from our 10 Burning Questions Series!

Alex and Facci are joined by Mike Scotto of HoopsHype to discuss the latest buzz, news and rumors around the league! Here are the topics discussed in today's show:

On today's episode of Setting the Pace, Alex Golden and Mike Facci are joined by the amazing Caitlin Cooper, of Basketball She Wrote. Today, Caitlin answers 5 of the 10 burning questions we have about the team in Pt. 1 of our podcast! 

Topics for today's show:

On today's episode of Setting the Pace, Alex Golden is joined by Marc Dykton of 107.5 The Fan, to discuss the horrific effort we saw from the Pacers on Sunday night, where the Pacers lost by 19-points to the WORST team in the NBA. The guys dive into why this is the worst loss of the season, a video shared on twitter that showed Pascal dejected during the game, and some postgame comments made by Jay Huff.

Then, the guys pivot and discuss John Cena's last match, whether or not the ending was the right booking or not...

Alex and Facci round out the December Mailbag with these 7 questions!

1). @spenlodun

does anyone else think Cam Boozer is a viable option at center if we can get a top 3 pick? i've heard no one mention this

2). @N-B-MMA

Besides another legit center what other position do you think we need the most help on?
 

3). @AIL_A_Guy_Needs

STP love yall. Still need to go try my bagel sandwich. My question I have for yall is if we're resigning Mathurin who is out the do...

Alex and Facci are back to answer more questions from the December Mailbag! 

1). David Cole @David Cole 24

Do you think a top 4 pick forces a consolidation trade, and who gets sent out?

2). David Cole @David Cole 24 

Do you think the Pacers trade the draft pick in a win-now move or keep it? (Asking what you think the organization WILL do, not SHOULD do)

3). David Cole @David Cole 24 

How much do you think it will cost to keep

Mathur...

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On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex and Facci answer the following Mailbag Questions:

1). Geoff Ferrer @Boys1974115307

I look forward to hearing the episode. What do you two think is the best choice: trade our draft pick in 2026 or use the draft pick? I feel like the team is in such an obvious win-now mode that draft and develop isn't the best option. Low-hanging fruit, I know, but I'm curious.
 

2). Geoff Ferrer @Boys1974115307

At what p...

Alex Golden and Mike Facci recap the Indiana Pacers 11-point win over the Sacramento Kings! The Big 3 of Siakam, Nembhard and Mathurin were sensational; Jarace Walker had a strong performance off the bench; Ethan Thompson got his first ever NBA start; Jay Huff continues to protect the rim at an elite level and the PEP IN THE STEP IS BACK!

Remember, when the Pacers WIN, you win too! Get a FREE side or drink at Ripple Bagel & Deli with your purchase if you show them you are subscribed to Setting The Pace. Also, try the Setting The...

Alex and Facci have a loaded show today, as they discuss the Indiana Pacers getting their first road win of the season against the lowly Chicago Bulls. Ethan Thompson, newly signed 2-way player, shined in his opportunity off the bench posting the 2nd most minutes, a team best plus-minus and shooting at an efficient level. The guys discuss his play, Ben Sheppard's injury, Jarace Walker being benched the entire 2nd half, Garrison Mathews getting the start at the 3, the great games by Siakam and Mathurin, as well as the continued solid play of Jay Huff. The guys close out...

Alex Golden is joined by Young Simba to share trade ideas for a starting center. Could Zubac actually be gettable? Is there an under the radar center like Yves Missi that could make sense for the Pacers? Who else is even a potential candidate? 

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Alex Golden goes solo (Facci OUT sick ) to recap the Pacers 135-120 to the Nuggets with a "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" segment.  

In "The Good" Alex talks about: Furphy, Toppin, Shepp, TJ, Mathews, Wheel of Fortune, RayJ, Lineup Data, 3PT shooting and MORE!

In "The Bad" Alex talks about: 2P% from a specific player, 3P% from a certain player, Mathurin's turnovers, Murray's night

In "The Ugly" Alex talks about: ANOTHER OPPONENT RUN decimates the Pacers chances in this game...Alex also goes through each run this season that ha...

Alex Golden is joined by Kent Sterling to discuss a handful of things. They talk about the importance of Rick Carlisle, how his vision of winning basketball changed the trajectory of the franchise and what makes him such a successful coach. The guys also touch on the greatness of Tyrese Haliburton and what the loss of him to this season has meant to several players (here on the Pacers or elsewhere). In addition to that, they touch on how awesome Siakam has been, how every team needs a little crazy (Benn Mathurin), how Andrew Nembhard has looked as the...

Mike Facci is joined by David Cole to recap the Pacers 135-119 loss to the Cavaliers. The guys get into what went wrong in this game, how player performed individually, and newest member of the Pacers, Ethan Thompson made his NBA debut in the 4th quarter, where he scored his first ever NBA points!

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Alex Golden and Mike Facci are joined by Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star to discuss what to make of the Indiana Pacers 20-games through the season. 

The guys specifically touch on: 

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Alex Golden goes solo to discuss the Pacers defeating the Bulls on Pascal Siakam's game winning buzzer beater. In addition to the play of Siakam, Jay Huff was phenomenal on both ends of the floor and Alex shares how his play on both ends of the floor impacted the game for the Pacers. Alex also touches on Isaiah Jackson's solid bench performance, what makes TJ McConnell so impactful, Andrew Nembhard returns from injury, and the one area Alex wants to see him improve, as well as the play from Benn Mathurin.

Later in the show, Alex discusses...

Alex Golden goes solo to recap the Pacers 33-point victory over the Washington Wizards, breaking their NBA Cup losing streak! Pascal Siakam was dominant, Benn Mathurin had another 20-point game, 6 Pacers scored in double figures, with 2 other Pacers scoring 9-points. Jay Huff and Ben Sheppard start with Andrew Nembhard out with an injury, and they both played well. 

Alex also discusses recent rumors that linked the Pacers to Jonathan Kuminga, again. In addition to that, he discusses some college hoops, because on Thanksgiving, Caleb Wilson and Cam Boozer had impressive games for UNC and Duke. These are 2 o...

Happy Black Friday Pacer Nation! On a special episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden brings on twin brothers, Jake and Isaac as our Fans of the Week! Today, we dive into why Jake is such a believer in Benn Mathurin, why Isaac isn't as big of a fan despite liking him as a player and what it is about him that is so intriguing. Then, the guys dive into a discussion about Jarace Walker and why it is so hard for him to put consistent effort into each game.

To wrap up the show, Alex continues...

Alex Golden is joined by Bryse Colwell to discuss the Pacers 97-95 loss to the Raptors, where Brandon Ingram hit the game winning shot with 0.6 seconds left. The guys discuss how a 22-0 Raptors run to end the 2nd quarter and start the 3rd was ultimately what did the Pacers in. McConnell was phenomenal off the bench, Mathurin had a strong 4th, Sheppard had a really nice game, Jarace started off strong but had some lolls in the 2nd half and Pascal had won of his worst games of the season. 

Then, Alex and Bryse discuss Keon E...

Alex Golden and Mike Facci go back-and-forth with the Pacers roster, sharing what they are thankful for with each Pacers player. With it being the "Thanksgiving Season", the guys felt this would be a fun and good way to spread that Thanksgiving spirit before tomorrow's holiday. 

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On today's episode of Setting the Pace, Alex Golden is joined by Casey Johnson to recap the Pacers 122-117 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Indiana had a solid effort in the 2nd half to try and overcome a 16-point deficit, but their efforts fell short in regulation. Jarace Walker had a career night, Pascal Siakam continues to play at an All-NBA level and the bench showed up BIG. However, the starters other than Pascal failed to put the ball in the hoop (outside of the free throw line) and Detroit's monster 2nd quarter gave them the distance in scoring...

Alex Golden and Mike Facci recap the Pacers 120-109 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Andrew Nembhard dropped a career-high, Pascal and Benn were efficient and impacting the game in multiple ways again, TJ McConnell played well off the bench, Huff and Sheppard show solid stuff, but the rest of the roster failed to carry their weight to help Indiana outlast Cleveland. 

Today the guys discuss:

Mike Facci is joined by Kyle Taylor to discuss the Pacers elevating Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to a standard deal, waiving Monte Morris, signing Garrison Matthews to a 10-day hardship exception, recent stats and trends for the Pacers and diving into the two guards Indiana took in the 2022 NBA Draft (Mathurin and Nembhard). 

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Alex and Facci each ranked the roster from 1-15 determining who they view as the Pacer that is most likely to be traded versus the Pacers they see as the least likely to be traded. The guys start from 15 and work their way up to 1, comparing their notes and sharing their opinions on why they had the player ranked where they ranked them.

15 Players Eligible for trade:

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Alex Golden and Facci are finally reunited, and they get to cover a Pacers WIN! Jay Huff was fantastic off the bench, Mathurin and Siakam shined on both ends of the floor, TJ McConnell looked like vintage McConnell, and the Pacers get a convincing victory over a Charlotte Hornets team who has been their kryptonite in years past. 

The guys also give out player awards at the end of the game and have a lengthy discussion about Nembhard as the primary ballhandler and the importance of Benn Mathurin not only this season but moving forward.

Alex Golden is joined by David Cole to discuss Mathurin's Return, the Pacers Losing By 15+ Points AGAIN & Diving into the Top 3PT Shooting Centers in the League by Percentage and Attempts. 

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On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden is joined by Derek Kramer of iPacers and Evil Pacers Recap Live to discuss the Indiana Pacers 1-12 start. The guys dive into other situations where a team the previous year made the NBA Finals but then had a really bad season the year after. How do these teams compare to the 2025-2026 Indiana Pacers, had did the season end and where did they end in the NBA Draft Lottery and more. Then, the guys discuss how the 1974-1975 Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers are tied together in history...

Alex Golden goes solo, talking about the Indiana Pacers WORSE start in Franchise History, falling to 1-12 on the season with an 18-point loss to the Toronto Raptors. Transition defense was nonexistent, playing without any resistance by allowing 78 points in the paint, and not playing with enough force to take advantage of opportunities that these players may never have again once this roster gets healthy. 

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On today's episode, Alex Golden is joined by Destin Adams to discuss the Pacers 35-point loss! Aaron Nesmith goes down with a scary injury in the 3rd quarter, and Indiana falls to 1-11 on the season. Alex and Destin look at the future of this season and discuss if the Pacers would be wise to be sellers at the trade deadline to really give themselves more bites at the apple in the NBA Draft. Alex shares a trade idea; Destin talks about what players seem the most untouchable and whether or not the Pacers should be taking phone calls...

Today, Alex and Facci conclude the November Mailbag...pretty sure Alex said this was Part 3 and the graphic says Part 2, sorry for the confusion. We answered 1 mailbag question last Friday, which was technically Part 1, but whatever Part it is of the mailbag, we answered your questions and talked about this team! Here are the questions below:

Alex Golden is joined by Noah Rusk to recap the Indiana Pacers best scoring night of the season, TJ McConnell making his season debut and the BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL, MAGNIFICENT city edition jerseys being worn for the first time, all to lose their 5th game in a row. The Jazz CRUSH the Pacers by 24 points, scoring 152, and shooting a ridiculous percentage, to ruin any positivity from the Pacers efforts tonight. Join us for a discussion about almost every player on the team, what we saw in this game, and why things are not working. 

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On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex and Facci answer questions from the Mailbag to discuss the questions listeners have about this team. We recorded this episode on Thursday, November 6th, in case any news breaks and the conversation is about something that happened previously. 

Today the questions were answering are from Rooster, Pacers Faithful and Paulo Borges:

Andrew Nembhard and the Nembhard-ettes get blown out on the second night of a back-to-back against the Steph Curry-less Warriors. Alex and Facci recap this horrific game, discuss why the team had no chance of winning and what to make of the 1-9 start to the season. Then, the guys discuss Myles Turner once again throwing shade at the Pacers and their fans in a postgame interview between Milwaukee and Chicago, as well as a former Pacers All-Star joining the Bucks G-League affiliate, The Wisconsin Herd. 

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On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden goes solo to discuss the Pacers 117-100 loss to the Nuggets. Alex discusses 10 things from the game that stood out to him, leading to the Pacers loss.

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On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden and Mike Facci discuss the Pacers deciding to waive Mac McClung and bring in Monte Morris. In addition to that, Facci shares what he likes about this specific move, whether or not McClung was given a fair shot, and more. The guys also discuss Cody Marting being brought in Wednesday for a 10-day contract and what he can bring to the table. After that to conclude the show, the guys answer the 1st question from the Mailbag Podcast, sent in by Noah from The Blue & Gold Buzz. 

H...

On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden goes solo to discuss the Pacers loss to the Nets, a game in which they looked terrible in, outside of Ben Sheppard and Jay Huff. Alex goes through and reads his notes from the game to highlight what he saw good or bad. Then, Alex briefly touches on Cody Martin's arrival to the team. 

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Alex Golden and Mike Facci look at how the Pacers stack up against the rest of NBA in certain categories...After that, they play a game of "describe it", a new segment where we describe is something is good or bad for the Pacers. This week we touched on Siakam, and the 3 words we have to come up with how his season has gone so far...

Let us know if you enjoyed the episode in the comment section!

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Alex Golden joins Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson, hosts of NBA Today on NBA TV and Sirius XM Radio to discuss Myles Turner's return to Indiana, why fans were booing and whether the boos were warranted, the Pacers front office failing to give Myles a fair offer compared to what the Bucks gave him, whether or not the Pacers will be able to retain Benn Mathurin in the offseason and MORE!

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Alex Golden and Mike Facci discuss the Pacers 117-115 loss to the Bucks The Indiana Pacers were searching for their 2nd win of the season, but fall to the Bucks at the hands of Giannis, who drilled a fade away jumper to win it for Milwaukee. 

Myles Turner was booed every single second of this game by Pacers fans, and the center who is replacing him outplayed him for the majority of the game. Isaiah Jackson had 21 points, 10 rebounds and had some timely plays down the stretch. Pascal Siakam continued his excellence with a terrific effort, Aaron N...

It’s the matchup everyone’s been waiting for! Myles Turner faces the Indiana Pacers for the first time since leaving for the Milwaukee Bucks — and Pacers fans are fired up. After weeks of controversial comments and shade thrown in interviews, the once-beloved big man is now public enemy number one in Indy. Alex Golden and Mike Facci break down the tension, the fan reactions, and what kind of fireworks we can expect when Turner steps back onto the Gainbridge floor.

Plus — the Pacers are coming off their first win of the season, stepping up big in the clut...

On today's episode, Alex goes solo to discuss the Indiana Pacers finally breaking through for their first win of the season — doing it in style against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Alex dives into a wild night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Quenton Jackson and Aaron Nesmith delivered career performances to power Indy to victory.

We breakdown:

Alex Golden goes live at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to recap the game. The Pacers fall to 0-5, continuing their losing streak. In addition to losing the game, the Pacers announced that Obi Toppin will be out until February with a foot injury. Alex talks about it all on today's episode. 

Per Pacers PR: Forward Obi Toppin has been diagnosed with a partial stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. Toppin will travel to New York and have the injury surgically repaired by Dr. Martin O’Malley of the Hospital for Special Surgery. 

Hoste...

Facci is back and he is holding it down without Alex today! On today's show, Facci welcomes in fan favorite of the podcast, Keith Smith from Spotrac. The guys discuss the following topics as the NBA week is officially one week in!

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Alex Golden is joined by Tyler Smith from Indy Sports Legends to recap the Pacers 107-105 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The Pacers blew another opportunity to win a close game. Siakam was the backbone again for the Pacers with 27 points and 13 rebounds, but the shooting woes were intensified in this game from everyone on the roster. Mac McClung made his debut, Jarace Walker scored a career high, RayJ Dennis had a team high +13 in plus/minus but too many misses cost the Pacers a chance at their first win. 

We discuss it all today on Setting T...

On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Noblesville GM, Chris Taylor, joins me to discuss: the Boom starting their training camp this week; who they selected in the G League Draft on Saturday; insight on Indiana native Kyle Guy returning to basketball after retiring; thoughts on Gabe McGlothan and Jalen Slawson (who played on the Pacers preseason team) and the first season of the Boom in their state of the art facility in Noblesville.

In addition to that, Chris talks about the growth he has seen in 2-way players RayJ Dennis and Quenton Jackson; what he's seen...

On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden is joined by Brett Evans to discuss the Pacers singing of Mac McClung and the waiving of James Wiseman. The guys discuss why the Pacers went with Wiseman as the man to be waived and what it is about Mac McClung that brings some level of intrigue as this team continues to battle injuries.

Later, Alex and Brett discuss the Wiseman waiving, and what it means for the center rotation moving forward. Brett shares his opinion on who the Pacers best fit at the center is with this...

Alex Golden is joined by Kyle Taylor from iPacers to discuss the Pacers 4-point loss to the Timberwolves. The guys dive into the play of Tony Bradley, RayJ Dennis, Quenton Jackson returning from injury, Aaron Nesmith's 18-point night, what to make of Jarace's performance, the untimely fouls from Shepp and end with giving all the flowers to Pascal for his heroic efforts in this one.

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Alex Golden goes solo to discuss the Pacers 25-point blowout loss to the Grizzlies. The loss is bad, but nothing was worse than losing two more players to injuries at the guard position. Bennedict Mathurin (toe) and Taelon Peter (groin) exit the games with injuries, and the Pacers finish with 3 healthy guards. 

While it looks bleak early on for the 2025-2026 Pacers, Alex shares 3 positives that could come from all of these injuries, and gives his thoughts on the game. 

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Alex Golden and Mike Facci talk about the Indiana Pacers falling short to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a double overtime thriller. Bennedict Mathurin was a man on a mission and Pascal Siakam was able to score on any defense the Thunder threw his way. Andrew Nembhard did not return to the game after halftime, leaving the Pacers with no healthy point guards. The center rotation continues to be a question mark, but Obi Toppin logged significantly more minutes at the 5 than I Jax, Bradley or Huff. Bigger roles for Peter, Sheppard and Jarace, how they performed. Nesmith fouled...

On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden is joined by Brad and Ryan Knight, The Brothers of Basketball and Hosts of The Pacers Post Up Podcast to preview the Pacers NBA Finals rematch with the Thunder. What players are unable to play in this game, what will be the biggest hurdle for the Pacers to climb, who is the key to the Pacers chances of winning, what can we takeaway from the preseason, how do the Pacers handle the point guard situation against a stingy defense and one more time discussing the significance of Aaron Nesmith's extension.  Duration: 00:44:58

Alex opens up the show discussing Kam Jones apologizing to the fans and media at practice today after his arrest for speeding on Monday. Then, Alex and Facci play a game of True or False, determining if the 12 statements are true or false.

1). Taelon Peter logs more minutes this season than Johnny Furphy.

2). Bennedict Mathurin ends the season as the starting shooting guard.

3). Tony Bradley will play his way into the backup center role behind Isaiah Jackson.

4). Aaron Nesmith will lead the team in 3PT%.

5). Pascal Siakam m...

On today's episode, Alex and Facci kickoff the show discussing Aaron Nesmith agreeing to an extension with the Indiana Pacers, that will take him through the 2028-2029 NBA season. Then, the guys quickly touch on Kam Jones being arrested after leading police on a police chase...(2:30)

In segment 2 (11:30), Jeremiah Johnson of Fan Duel Sports Network joins us to breakdown the current state of the Pacers, Benn Mathurin not agreeing to his rookie extension with the Pacers, what to make of the center and point guard questions, Siakam and Nembhard's upcoming roles, whether or not the Pacers will...

On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex and Facci discuss the point guard depth being ultra-thin after cutting Cam Payne...(2:05)

The guys then discuss Tony Bradley making the roster, what the centers did in 4 preseason games and how Rick envisions this group moving forward (4:07). Spencer Dinwiddie on the Pacers radar? (17:40)

In addition to that, the guys touch on the opportunity Taelon Peter has and what he looked like in preseason, Ben Sheppard being back in the mix of things and what the 2nd unit could look like with no point gu...

Alex Golden and Mike Facci kickoff the show with an energetic Facci who is hyped about Taelon Peter. Then, the guys transition into a lengthy, all over the place conversation about the current rotation at center and whether or not the front office dropped the ball when trying to build out the 2025-2026 Pacers depth chart. (2:30)

The guys highlight how Wiseman was seen at practice with the 2nd team, Carlilse discussing the Pacers roster overall needs more time together to establish chemistry, what to make of preseason play without TJ for 2 of the games and Drew for 1...

On today's episode, Alex and Facci gets things started by talking about Ben Sheppard returning to practice with no limitations and what injury he was dealing with. Then, Facci responds to David's claim that he really isn't a true Jermaine O'Neal fan, after failing to wish him a Happy Birthday earlier this week. (3:04)

Then, Eddie Gill joins (11:05) the show to discuss the Pacers point guards in depth, his experience with being thrown into the full of things with limited prep time, the impact of no TJ McConnell, and how he sees Q and RayJ fitting in. Then...

Alex Golden is joined by David Cole and Carson Stafford to discuss 3 Pacers we are interested in watching this upcoming season, and what type of role they could have this season and in future seasons. After that, David wonders if Giannis staying in Milwaukee is actually better for the Pacers versus them trading him. 

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On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden and Mike Facci recap the Pacers 124-108 loss to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. Benn Mathurin shined with 31 points on 11-12 shooting; the centers go all game long with no made baskets and chemistry continues to be an issue.

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On today's episode of STP, Alex Golden and Mike Facci share their thoughts on the Pacers 116-101 victory over the Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder). 

Timestamps:

On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden and Mike Facci discuss the recent news of TJ McConnell being out for at least a month, the Pacers releasing Delon Wright and signing Cam Payne, and why the Pacers have elected to keep Quenton Jackson on a 2-way deal. (3:30)

Then, the guys are joined by Chris Denari to discuss the McConnell news, his takeaways from the Pacers first preseason game and what he is seeing at training camp. (17:37)

To end our conversation with Chris, we introduce a new segment called 'Get To Know Your Guest...

Today, Alex and Facci play one of their favorite games, Stock Up, Stock Down OR Stock in the Middle! They go through each player on the Pacers roster after the first preseason game and determine whether or not said individual is a stock up, down or in the middle. 

On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden and Mike Facci recap the Pacers 135-134 OT victory over the Timberwolves. The guys discuss what they liked and did not like from this game, as well as what went down that is worth monitoring for future preseason games, such as injuries, position battles and young players looking to improve their play. 

Alex Golden and Mike Facci dive into 5 storylines they will be monitoring for preseason game #1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Before they dive into the main topic on today's show, they discuss some notes from Monday's practice where Tyrese Haliburton was seen shooting, Isaiah Jackson talked about his Raising Canes obsession during rehab and Rick Carlilse shared some more details on the injuries to Kam Jones and Ben Sheppard. Lastly, Facci discussed his weekend away with his wife and how many times he's listened to The Life of a Showgirl! 

Alex Golden is joined by Casey Johnson to share their biggest takeaways from the Indiana Pacers Fan Jam scrimmage and then they go through the Top 10 captions for a Milwaukee Bucks of Giannis pointing at something and Myles Turner intently listening...best captions were read on the air. 

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On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex and Facci dive into the Pacers projected depth chart, and decide what players belong where. Then, once the depth chart is established, the guys go through the roster and determine what a 9-man rotation would look like, what a 10-man rotation would look like and who are the first players out of these specific rotations.

After the guys discuss the players who will make the rotation and predict how many minutes they will play this season, they read comments from twitter in response to Myles Turner saying that his...

On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden and Mike (on the mic) Facci discuss the backtracking Myles Turner is doing after making another jab at Pacers fans on media day, Monday. The guys then transition into some comments that were made by Rick Carlisle after Wednesday's practice on Jay Huff, Jarace Walker and Tony Bradley. 

The guys also discuss what James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson have been up to during their time of injury rehab, and dive into what Delon Wright had to say about joining the Indiana Pacers just days before Training Camp. 

On today's episode of Setting The Pace, Alex Golden goes solo on today's episode to share some of the comments that Rick Carlisle made at Day 1 of Pacers Training Camp. Carlisle discusses what he is wanting to see from his team at camp, what he likes about James Wiseman, what it will mean losing coach Mike Weinar and what assistant Johnny Carpenter adds to the staff, health concerns for Ben Sheppard, Kam Jones and RayJ Dennis and reflecting on Nancy Leonard, who's funeral they will be attending on Saturday in Carmel, Indiana, causing the team to rearrange their practice...

Alex Golden is joined by Dustin Dopirak of The Indy Star to discuss what stood out to us from Indiana Pacers Media Day. After we share our takeaways from media day, we dive into things we want to see from training camp the next few days + a little Indiana Hoosiers Football talk. 

-Jay Huff found out about being traded to the Pacers in a pantry?

-How will teams defend Nembhard

-Jarace's future and opportunity this season...is he too honest sometime?

-Benn Mathurin ready to prove his worth to this team. Duration: 00:45:05

On today's episode of STP, Alex and Facci look at the 7 key bench players who appear to be in contention for playing time this season and discuss what they want to see each guy prove this season!

Here are the players discussed and in what order:

McConnell, Sheppard, Furphy, Wiseman, Huff, Toppin and Walker!

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Alex Golden and Facci are joined by Pacers GM, Chad Buchanan, to discuss the 2025 offseason and the upcoming season!

On today's episode, Alex Golden goes solo to discuss: the most recent news about the Pacers 3rd string point guard spot, why the Pacers won't just convert a 2-way player to the 15 man roster, what is going on with Monte Morris after just signing, Delon Wright coming to training camp and battling for a roster spot, who will most likely get the first crack at the starting center spot, Siakam's leadership, Mathurin's opportunity, Mike Weinar departing, Jarace Walker having a great workout in pickup games Thursday and remembering the life of Nancy Leonard. 

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Pacers starting forward Aaron Nesmith makes his Setting The Pace debut! Aaron joins Alex and Facci to discuss his first season in Indiana, some of his favorite moments, answers some rapid fire questions, the growth in himself as a defender, a funny behind the scenes story with him and Buddy and his go-to food spot in Indy!

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