Indiana Pacers Proving To Be Sneaky Team In Eastern Conference

The Indiana Pacers have shown flashes of their full potential early on this season and they currently find themselves as a sneaky competitive team in the Eastern Conference.

The Indiana Pacers went 25-57 during the 2021-22 season, their worst record since they won just 22 games during the 1984-85 season.

There was not much excitement from within this organization and it seems like the Pacers were heading towards a full-blown rebuild, especially with All-Star Domantas Sabonis on the trade block.

Then the news came in – the Pacers dealt Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings and got Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield in return. Perhaps the 2021-22 season did not act as a “lost season” for this franchise, as it may have instead presented them with a path to success moving forward.

Because of how they finished last season, the Pacers were able to begin building their long-term future not just with Haliburton and Hield, but with Bennedict Mathruin as well, who was the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Haliburton, Hield and Mathurin have combined to average 59.2 points per game this season and they have set the stage for what we should expect from this team the rest of the way.

He may have been picked sixth overall with high expectations, but Bennedict Mathurin has exceeded those expectations by a mile so far and has firmly put his name in the conversation for Rookie of the Year.

Between being an avid scorer off-the-bench and truly giving this team another key offensive weapon, Mathurin has been everything the Pacers had hoped for thus far.

“The confidence that he has,” Haliburton responded when asked about what has impressed him the most so far about the Pacers’ rookie recently. “I think he is growing and learning every day and that’s the great part about being a rookie in this game, especially when you are ahead talent wise.”

They may not be the most talented team in the league, but Indiana entered the new season knowing this. Playing 48 minutes of competitive basketball is what Rick Carlisle and this organization expects each and every night and so far this season, they have done so.

Wins over the Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans and Toronto Raptors look very good for this young team and believe it or not, they are one of the best offensive teams in the NBA right now, as the Pacers currently rank 6th in offensive rating, fifth in three-point percentage, third in assists per game and third in points per game.

“I think the great part about Rick [Carlisle] as a coach and this organization is that we got guys that are honest with each other and we have a lot of respect for each other to where we can say the truth,” Haliburton said after the team’s most recent victory over the Toronto Raptors. “Rick does a great job of challenging us from the starters to the second group.”

Up and down this roster, there are not a ton of names that stand out, but the Pacers have really begun to find a balance in terms of who plays what role.

Myles Turner has returned from injury and is still an elite-level rim-protector, Jalen Smith has filled a key void this team has had at the power forward position, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard are two newcomers that have begun to carve out their roles in the second-unit and the Pacers have even more depth than these few names listed.

Obviously this team is still re-tooling and rebuilding their roster for the future, but there is no reason why the Pacers cannot contend for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this year via the Play-In Tournament.

At 6-6 early on this season, Indiana is currently the 9-seed in the Eastern Conference with plenty of basketball yet to be played and they have proven that they can hang with any team in this league on any given night.

Tyrese Haliburton should be a first-time All-Star this season, Bennedict Mathurin will be an All-Rookie First Team selection and the Pacers’ balanced scoring attack makes them a tough team to defend.

Maybe we will be having a different conversation surrounding the Pacers later in December, but through the first month of the regular season, Indiana has made a clear statement that they will not back down to anyone in this league and that teams will have to earn a victory over them. 

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