2023 Player Reviews

Wheat Hotchkiss

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Buddy Hield's 2022-23 Season in Photos

Pacers guard Buddy Hield sits down with Pat Boylan to reflect on the Pacers' growth, his relationship with Tyrese Haliburton, and his pride in playing every game.

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Buddy Hield 2023 Exit Interview

Age: 30Years Pro: 7Status: One year remaining on contractKey Stats: Played in 80 of 82 games, averaging 16.8 points, 5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals. Made a franchise-record 288 3-pointers and shot 42.5 percent from 3-point range. Ranked second in the NBA in 3-pointers made and ninth in 3-point percentage.

Much like his good friend Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield has also quickly made a significant imprint on the Pacers organization in a little over a year since being traded to the Blue & Gold.

Hield's sharpshooting has already earned him a place in the franchise record books. His work ethic and durability have provided an admirable standard for the team's young players. And his positivity and fun-loving attitude helped build chemistry within a tight-knit locker room.

Now seven seasons into his NBA career, Hield knows who he is as a basketball player. Hield's job is to shoot and he does it well. In fact, during the 2022-23 season, he did it as well as he ever has.

The Bahamian sharpshooter actually had a bit of a down year shooting the ball in 2021-22, posting a career-low .366 3-point percentage over 81 games split between Sacramento and Indiana. That was still a respectable percentage, particularly considering the volume of attempts Hield hoists, but well below his career standards.

Hield bounced back this season, knocking down 42.5 percent of his 3-point attempts, the best 3-point percentage among qualified players on the team and ninth in the league.

GALLERY: Buddy Hield's 2022-23 Season in Photos >>

"I know last year I took a step back," Hield said. "And I wanted to come in this year and just put a stamp on what I've been doing my whole career in the NBA. And even next year, take the next big jump, too. Just staying locked in and credit to my teammates each and every day helping me while I'm open, finding me in the right spots."

Hield attempted 8.5 threes per game and made a career-high 288 treys on the season.

Hield's shooting makes him an ideal fit in an offense that runs through Haliburton, who at 23 is arguably the best passer in the league. The duo already had a chemistry on the court in Sacramento, but have taken their relationship to the next level in Indiana. They constantly rib each other during practice and in the locker room, but have brought out the best in one another on the floor.

Hield averaged 16.8 points per game last season. He reached double figures in a team-high 67 games and scored 20 or more points 27 times. He made five or more 3-pointers in 26 different games, including a memorable night on Dec. 23 in Miami, when Hield knocked down seven threes and Haliburton set a franchise record with 10.

"It fits me really well because I love to get up and down," Hield said of the Pacers' offense. "I love to run. I think that we have a unique point guard that plays the game the way I love (it) to be played. He can score from all three levels and (with) Myles (Turner) rolling and making shots and how we were so spaced out, everybody can shoot the three ball and drive-and-kick offense, I think it helps me a lot."

While Hield's scoring is his most obvious attribute, he also possesses several other qualities that have endeared him to his teammates and coaches.

Even in the NBA, Hield's love for the game and devotion to the gym stands out. On the road, Hield headed to the arena on game nights before the first team bus left the hotel to get up extra shots. He built a gym in his offseason home in Dallas and even hosted the Pacers' shootaround there when they were in town to play the Mavericks. Head coach Rick Carlisle often shared anecdotes during the season about how Hield will walk over to the referee during timeouts and ask to borrow the ball to get a few practice dribbles in.

On top of that, Hield simply doesn't miss games. Prior to this season, he had sat out just three games over his first six NBA seasons due to injury or illness. That number is now at five after he contracted the flu in late March, which forced him to stay away from the team for a few days and miss two games.

The Pacers dropped both of those games, lopsided losses to Dallas and Milwaukee. Over that stretch, Carlisle and several players noted that the energy simply wasn't the same around the team without Hield's upbeat personality.

"It's dope, my teammates texting me, checking on me," Hield said of the team's reaction to his absence. "The coaching staff called me before every game and said 'Man, we miss your vibe here.' It's kind of dope and speaks volumes. The vibe I bring to the locker room and the uplifting and (building) chemistry...when I'm not there it doesn't feel right. As a player, that kind of makes you feel special that your teammates rely on that energy each and every day."

After starting for the majority of the season, Hield also willingly moved to the bench for his final seven games, allowing younger players like Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard to get increased minutes down the stretch as the Pacers switched to a development focus late in the season.

It's no secret that Hield's biggest shortcomings are on the defensive end. That's true of most players on the Pacers roster and was the biggest hindrance to Indiana's playoff hopes this season.

Carlisle and Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard made it clear in their postseason press conferences that the Pacers -- including Hield --must improve dramatically on the defensive end.

How much improvement Hield can demonstrate on that end will likely factor in to how long he remains in Indiana. He is scheduled to become a free agent next summer, though he is eligible for an extension this offseason. With the emergence of Mathurin and Nembhard this season, the Pacers have stockpiled plenty of backcourt talent, meaning competition for minutes should only increase next season.

It's an organizational goal for the Pacers to return to the playoffs next season, but doing so is especially important for Hield. As much as the 30-year-old has accomplished over his career, he still has never reached the postseason. Hield's 548 career games without appearing in a playoff contest are the sixth-most in NBA history, but he hopes to fall off that list next season.

At his end of season press conference, Hield was asked if he planned on watching the playoffs even though the Pacers didn't make it. He quickly responded, "You gotta watch it," talking about how much he's loved watching the postseason since he was a little kid in the Bahamas. He was then asked if he'll be playing in the playoffs this time next year.

The normally talkative guard offered a succinct response: "I think so, for sure."

April 17: Tyrese HaliburtonApril 18: Myles TurnerApril 19: Andrew NembhardApril 20: Jordan NworaApril 21: Aaron NesmithApril 22: Isaiah JacksonApril 23: James JohnsonApril 24: Bennedict MathurinApril 25: T.J. McConnellApril 26: Oshae BrissettApril 27: Chris DuarteApril 28: Jalen SmithApril 29: Gabe YorkApril 30: Kendall BrownMay 1: George HillMay 2: Daniel TheisMay 3: Buddy Hield

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Player Review 2023: Buddy Hield

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Daniel Theis' 2022-23 Season in Photos

Pacers center Daniel Theis talks with Pat Boylan about his "rollercoaster year" rehabbing from surgery, taking on a veteran role on this team, and what fans can expect from the Pacers moving forward.

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Daniel Theis 2023 Exit Interview

Jordan Morey

Age: 31Years Pro: 6Status: Under contract for 2023-24 with team option for 2024-25.Key Stats: 7.0 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game, 1.3 assists per game, 47.7 percent shooting in seven games played.Last summer, the Indiana Pacers made headlines by trading a multi-year starting guard to an Eastern Conference foe for four players and a 2023 first-round draft pick. On July 9, the Pacers sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics while acquiring young forward Aaron Nesmith and veteran center Daniel Theis in the deal.While Nesmith earned a starting spot and significant minutes early in the 2022-2023 season, Theis spent much of his first season with the Pacers on the bench recovering from injury.The 6-foot-8 German came to the Pacers after helping the Celtics to an NBA Finals appearance, where he played key minutes off the bench. He then represented his country in EuroBasket 2022 in September, helping lead Germany to a third-place finish in the European championship.Theis came to the Pacers dealing with persistent soreness in his right knee, and opted to undergo a surgical procedure to address it in November.

GALLERY: Daniel Theis' 2022-23 Season in Photos >>After missing more than 50 games, Theis played in seven games from Feb. 2 to March 23, largely as the backup center to Myles Turner. In those contests, Theis averaged 15.6 minutes while putting up 7.0 points on 47.7 percent shooting, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.In Theis’ small sample size of time on the court, his ability to set bone-crushing screens and play tough defense against opposing bigs stood out.

Following a win over the Sacramento Kings, where Theis recorded eight points, four rebounds, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle gave high praise to him in just his second game back."I thought if you were going to give a game ball tonight, it would probably go to Theis, who showed the kind of player he is, the kind of impact he can have on our team," Carlisle said. "(Theis) gives us a different kind of big, a guy that has feel, has skill, but still has toughness [and] can protect the rim.”On Feb. 13, in the starting lineup, Theis recorded a season-high 11 points, five rebounds and three assists across 22 minutes.Over the last 20 games, Theis, who is 31 years old, fell out of the rotation as Jalen Smith, 23, and Isaiah Jackson, 21, saw more minutes as the backup center as the franchise continued focused on developing its young talent.“It obviously was a rollercoaster year for me, but I also learned a lot about myself,” Theis said. “Coming back from surgery, rehab is always a tough situation for a player to be in. You have to work every day. You have to be here more than usual. Coming back playing and then from there going to being more of a mentor and good vet.”Theis said he tried to mentor Smith and Jackson during the season despite not being able to play for much of it, and that this year's group was special because of it competitiveness and closeness. “Everyone wants to go out there and play, but you’re also part of a team,” Theis said. “The team is bigger than every single player. Obviously I want to be out there, play and win games, but I also will do whatever it takes and whatever is needed from me.”With Turner getting a contract extension last season and Smith and Jackson also set to return for 2023-2024, it’s unclear where Theis will fit in next season on the Pacers’ roster. Theis, who said he’s “100% healthy,”&nbsp;is going into the third year of a four-year contract. His salary is guaranteed for next season and has a team option for 2024-2025.&nbsp;

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Player Review 2023: Daniel Theis

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George Hill's 2022-23 Season in Photos

Pacers guard George Hill talks with Pat Boylan about coming back home for a second stint with the Pacers, having a big game at Madison Square Garden on the final day of the season, and how Tyrese Haliburton has impressed him.