Pacers Season Preview: Can Eastern Conference Finalists Make Another Stunning Run?

Pacers Season Preview

A look at the Indiana Pacers entering the 2024-25 season …

• New Faces: James Wiseman, Johnny Furphy, Tristan Newton, Enrique Freeman
• Key Losses: Jalen Smith, Doug McDermott

Overview

Maybe the NBA playoffs really are about survival of the fittest. Or at least, survival of those who manage to stay injury-free the longest.

There’s a lot of talk about the Knicks and 76ers being the top threats to the Celtics in the East, but maybe it’s time we stop and give the Indiana Pacers some credit. After all, they were the ones who actually faced Boston in the conference finals.

Sure, people are quick to downplay Indiana’s run — saying they beat a Bucks team without Giannis and a Knicks team that was running on fumes. But maybe, just maybe, the Pacers are better than people think.

Here’s the thing: the Pacers owned the Bucks last season, regular season or playoffs. They took four of five from Milwaukee in the regular season, averaging 122 points per 100 possessions.

So, it wasn’t exactly a fluke. And when they faced the Knicks, Indiana was relentless. They survived a wild Game 3, pushed the series to seven, and delivered one of the most memorable Game 7 performances we’ve ever seen.

And even when the Celtics swept them in the ECF, let’s not forget Indiana was in it late in three of those four games. No Tyrese Haliburton for the final two? Yeah, that didn’t help either.

Now, looking ahead, Indiana’s still got that young, scrappy core intact — six guys who are 25 or younger. Haliburton is healthy, Pascal Siakam’s had more time to gel, and there’s no reason to think this team can’t take another step.

People like to point to teams like the 2020-21 Hawks as a cautionary tale, but the Pacers could very well be on a different path. They played at a 50-win pace after acquiring Siakam and finished the season with the third-best net rating in the East post-trade.

There’s a lot to like about what head coach Rick Carlisle has going here. Haliburton is coming off an All-NBA season, and the offense, which was already cooking, might be even better with a healthy roster and more familiarity.

The Pacers were elite in almost every offensive category: pace, fast-break points, second-chance points — you name it. And with a backcourt that includes Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, and T.J. McConnell, they’ve got plenty of weapons.

The issue? Defense. They’ve been near the bottom of the league in defensive rating for three straight years, and that’s where the biggest question marks lie. They’ve got some decent defenders, like Myles Turner, Aaron Nesmith, and the young Jarace Walker, but they’re going to need to figure out how to slow teams down, especially when Haliburton’s on the floor.

But if they can just get to average on that end, their offense might be enough to carry them deep into the playoffs again.

Best-case scenario: Haliburton stays healthy, the offense clicks on all cylinders, and they find just enough defense to make it work. If that happens, the Pacers could win 50+ games and give any team a run for its money in the playoffs.

Worst-case scenario: The defense continues to be a sieve, and even a great offense can’t carry them out of the first round. If that’s the case, the questions about whether they can build a true contender around Haliburton will get louder.

The Pacers have talent, depth, and momentum. Now, it’s just a matter of putting it all together.

They might not be getting the hype, but this team could be a problem in the East, whether people want to admit it or not.

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