Bleacher Report puts Indiana Pacers with 46 wins in East standings predictions, seventh in conference

The Pacers finished in sixth place last season

Mar 10, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) defends Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the second quarter at KIA Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Bleacher Report, via author Andy Bailey, recently predicted the final record for every team in the NBA for the 2024-25 season — and Bailey thinks the Indiana Pacers will win fewer games this coming season than they did in 2023-24.

Bailey predicts that the Pacers will finish with a 46-36 record. The roster is almost identical to last season's group that finished the season with 47 wins. Currently, the only changes are that Doug McDermott and Jalen Smith have been replaced by Johnny Furphy and James Wiseman.

Indiana is running it back, which makes sense given their financial and team building situation. They have a rotation largely composed of younger players who could get better going into next season. "It's one route that we've looked hard at. You've always got to look and see what's out there on the market," Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said of running it back with largely the same roster back in May. "Also very excited about the young core we have. It's a balance."

Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, Tyrese Haliburton, Ben Sheppard, Isaiah Jackson, and Bennedict Mathurin will all be under 25-years old when training camp starts, and they all project to be a part of Indiana's rotation next season. If just a few of them improve, the Pacers should be a better team, and they won 47 games last year.

But that isn't the entire exercise of predicting how many games a team will win. Other squads in the Eastern Conference also will be better, and in some cases significantly better. Earning a victory will be more challenging at the highest level next season in the East, and that's why it could be harder for the Pacers to win more games despite being an improved team.

The blue and gold will also have a full season, and offseason, with Pascal Siakam in the mix. Bailey's record prediction would have Indiana finishing with the seventh-best record in the East and being in the Play-In Tournament.

Bailey's prediction has the Orlando Magic as the team immediately in front of the Pacers with 48 wins. The Miami Heat are just behind them with 45. The Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers are, in order, his predicted top-five Eastern Conference teams.

The entire list of predictions can be found here. ESPN predicted the same number of wins for the Pacers.

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