Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle wants his team to walk the talk when it comes to defense in the 2023-24 NBA season. It's not merely enough for the Pacers to talk about playing good defense – they must practice what they preach, per the Indianapolis Star's Dustin Dopirak.

“Truthfully, I think we need to stop talking about defense and just start defending better. Talk is cheap,” Rick Carlisle said on Tuesday.

While the Pacers lit up the scoreboard, they were one of the NBA's worst defensive teams last season. Indiana ranked 10th in scoring and first in fastbreak points in 2022-23. Unfortunately, their 119.5 points allowed per game ranked 29th overall. The Pacers faltered to a 35-47 win-loss record after a promising 23-18 start.

On the bright side, the trio of Myles Turner, Jalen Smith, and Isaiah Jackson helped Indy finish first in the league with an average of 5.8 blocks per game. That's something they will build on in 2023-24.

The Pacers' emphasis on defense was evident during the offseason. They acquired former Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown and drafted Jarace Walker. They will join forces with defensive aces Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard.

For his part, Bruce Brown has been honing Bennedict Mathurin's defensive skills.

“I've been forcing everybody to be a better defender, but especially Benn Mathurin. I think he can be extremely good on both ends of the floor if he wants to,” Bruce Brown said.

Although Rick Carlisle spoke highly of Pacers assistant Jim Boylen, he's aware everyone must step up their game on defense.

“He's willing to help, but it isn't just Jim doing the defense. Everyone's involved. It's obvious the players are involved, too,” Rick Carlisle said.

If the Pacers improve their defense, they will make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.