Bruce Brown didn't wait for the season to start impacting Pacers

Bruce Brown Jr. had ME wanting to get in a defensive stance at Media Day on Monday.

The Pacers biggest offseason, free agent addition was added in large part to improve the team’s defensive disposition after they finished in the bottom five among NBA teams in defensive efficiency last season.

While the Pacers struggled to stop opponents last season, Brown was guarding point guards through power forwards while playing a critical role for the NBA champion Denver Nuggets. Shortly after celebrating with the Nuggs, Brucey B signed with the Pacers and it appears, immediately went to work trying to help his new team in the offseason.

“Defense, I’ve been working on that a lot,” Obi Toppin said when asked about his offseason. “Being able to guard 1 thru 5, challenge myself in that way. Learning from Brucey B right here, he’s been helping me a little bit.”

Brown was observing Toppin’s comments from outside the media scrum before it was his chance to speak. But Toppin wasn’t the only one to heap praise on BB’s summer presence among the team.

Heading into his prime NBA years at 27 years old, Brown’s championship cache among his teammates has him already emerging as a team leader. After getting to know Tyrese Haliburton and his girlfriend, Brown suggested a trip to Nashville to enjoy some country music. Haliburton thought, why not invite the rest of the team. So the two organized a quick players-only, mini-camp/team bonding trip.

When Brown speaks defense, he has a captive audience with so many young players looking to make a difference on that end of the floor. Bennedict Mathurin in particular is looking to become a more impactful two-way player and Brown already has no doubts that Mathurin will be much improved.

Brown feels Mathurin is strong enough and quick enough to be an elite defender. So what needs to improve.

“It’s want to,” Brown emphasized. “He (Mathurin) has it and he’s been showing it this preseason. He’s been guarding me, guarding anyone who has the ball in their hands, so he’s going to be really good this year.”

Brown later expanded on the ‘want to’ needed throughout the roster for the Pacers to see the defensive results they desire. More importantly, Brown can see it and confidently proclaimed that they were going to be a good defensive team.

Brown hung around the league after his first two season thanks solely to his defensive acumen. After lifting his three-point shooting percentage from the 20’s to upper 30’s, he has won a ring and earned a big payday with the Pacers to solidify his NBA career.

Leaning on ‘want to’ has been the secret to Brown’s success and he sounds as comfortable and confident as any player on the roster that his impact on the team can raise everyone to another level.

Brown may not have the same bubbly personality as Tyrese Haliburton, but he is ready to scrap with his squad against anyone. Just as Hali seems like a pied piper others naturally want to follow, Bruce B can be the Pacers pied piper of defense. Showing his teammates the way and holding them accountable throughout the process.

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Reports from the Pacers first practice on Tuesday had Brown among the starting unit with Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin and Myles Turner. No surprises there. However, Rick Carlisle emphasized that the competition for minutes “is real” in camp.

What has become an annual tradition, the Pacers focused on defense for the bulk of their first workout. It sounds like they are tweaking their approach, and according to Brown, playing a system he is unfamiliar with from past stops around the league.

Of course, after the word ‘defense’ was mentioned at least 100 times on Monday, following practice on Tuesday, Carlisle had heard it enough.

“Truthfully, I think we need to stop talking about defense and start defending better,” Carlisle said. “When we start preseason games, we have our intra-squad game then we’ll see more of where we’re at, but talk is cheap.”

Then Dustin Dopirak asked the next question about Jim Boylen and the defense. Classic. Sorry coach, that talk won’t go away.

Here are post practice comments from Carlisle and some players.