Rick Carlisle shares frustrations after Memphis Loss

Source: Jason Miller / Getty

[Indianapolis, IN]- The Indiana Pacers fell in their third preseason game 120-116 to the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night.

After the first quarter, Indiana trailed 31-17 to the Grizzlies. Indiana went six of thirteen from the field in that first quarter and went three of seven from the three-point line.

Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle joined the Wake-Up Call with KB and Andy Tuesday morning to explain some his frustrations this preseason.

“Well, we certainly have to be more consistent,” Carlisle said, “Last night was an opportunity for a couple of younger guys to step up into starting. It really is daunting in being a rotation player off the bench and having to carry the load and responsibility of being a starting player. No excuses, I think that group learned somethings last night about hard play, consistent play, ball movement, and attitude and disposition.”

In his postgame comments, Carlisle expressed the need for the right attitude by the Pacers team.

“You don’t have to get use to each other to go out there with the right attitude, right disposition, right mindset and the right physical posture,” Carlisle said on Pacers.com, “We did not do that. I can’t read minds, but it looked like the expectation was ‘I’m going to go out and get my shots and get in the game that way’ and it was ugly. Everything was happening out there that we don’t want to happen.”

Seemingly, the first team took some, if not most, of the criticism by Carlisle.

“That team didn’t play well,” Carlisle said postgame, “That group did not play well. They were at minus fourteen in the first half, and it was pretty clear in timeouts the things we needed to do.”

Jarace Walker was one of the starters in the first team, and he led the Pacers with a fifteen-point night.

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Even with the frustrations with his own team, Carlisle still expressed praise to Memphis rookie and Purdue Alum Zach Edey.

“(He’s an) impact player,” Carlisle said, “He came in and he’s a problem. He goes hard, he’s huge, he scores in the paint, and he makes free throws. Defensively, he’s going to be better than people think off the bat.”

Now Indiana turns their eyes to the preseason finale on Thursday against Charlotte.