The Indiana Pacers may be playing ball in the Midwest but they aren\u2019t what people would call a rugged team.<\/p>\n
Under the direction of longtime head coach Rick Carlisle, they\u2019ve emphasized pace rather than physicality. On most nights, their most aggressive player is arguably third-year wing Bennedict Mathurin<\/a>, who has no problem bumping bodies or gums. However, they\u2019re also one of the few teams with a traditional enforcer.<\/p>\n In the past, enforcers<\/em> were seen as the tough guys. If games started getting too aggressive, they were there as a kind of crowd control for the opponent. They would deliver some hard blows, if necessary. More importantly, they had the machismo to stare down any challenge.<\/p>\n Again, in some ways, Mathurin fits that bill. As he\u2019s their tone-setter at the defensive end, Aaron Nesmith<\/a> has shades of that mentality as well. However, James Johnson<\/a>\u00a0is their designated enforcer<\/em>, which is why \u201che\u2019s not going anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked by The Indianapolis Star\u2019s Dustin Dopirak whether Johnson would still be on the team past Jan. 7, when his contracts becomes fully guaranteed, Carlisle says that the Pacers \u201cneed him.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked Rick Carlisle about James Johnson with Jan. 7 deadline coming up to waive players on non-guaranteed contracts to avoid paying the full guarantee. “He’s not going anywhere. We need him.”<\/p>\n \u2014 Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) January 6, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nPacers\u2019 James Johnson Contract Proves \u2018Tough Guys\u2019 Still Needed<\/h2>\n
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