Indiana Pacers believe that continuity is right path for improvement after conference finals run

The Pacers are running it back in 2024-25

Indiana Pacers GM Chad Buchanan and VP of Basketball Operations and Cap Management Ted Wu speak with reporters before the 2024-25 NBA season. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Tony East) / Tony East - Pacers On SI

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers look familiar. This week, the team kicked off training camp ahead of their 2024-25 campaign, and things look very similar to the way they did one year ago.

The roster features 13 returning players — 14 when counting two-way contracts. There are few newcomers, and most of them played in summer league. They have at least some experience in the Pacers systems. Only James Wiseman comes to Indiana from a different NBA team this year.

That amount of continuity will define the Pacers season. Can it be an advantage? Will it make Indiana better in an improving Eastern Conference playoff field? Their performance will answer those questions, but the team thinks that running it back is the right move to maximize their performance.

"Bringing back this group is a reflection of how we feel about them," Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said last week. "We also feel like this group has shown great chemistry. The pieces fit well."

Many of the team's decisions to retain talent were no-brainer moves. Pascal Siakam is an All-Star level player, and the Pacers prioritized keeping him early in free agency. Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell signed team-friendly contract extensions. James Johnson was retained on a minimum deal, and Cole Swider was added on a non-guaranteed minimum deal. Obi Toppin's four-year agreement was the only move that some questioned, but finding a reserve forward who fits as well as Toppin would have been hard for Indiana.

Thus, the front office kept basically everybody. Only Jalen Smith, Doug McDermott, Isaiah Wong, and Oscar Tshiebwe are gone from last year's group, and Smith was the only one of those players to have a full-season impact. The roster looks nearly identical otherwise.

Following that path can be risky. Some will ask why a nearly identical roster should have higher expectations than last year's group. It's a fair question in a league that changes rosters so often. But Indiana believes they can improve in the coming season, and there are many ways they could be right to bet on the same group.

"Continued growth from every guy on the roster," Buchanan said when asked how he envisions the team being better. "You can talk about young guys developing, which is important to our success long term. But there's veteran players that are still developing."

The leading reason continuity could benefit the Pacers is that they are fairly young. Their rotation projects to only have two players over 30 years old in Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell, and many of their key pieces have four or less years of experience in the NBA. Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, Ben Sheppard, and Jarace Walker all fall into that group.

If any one of those young players improves, the Pacers could be a better team. It's plausible that several of them are better. Linear growth isn't a guarantee in the NBA, and teams take on a different identity every season. But development is just one way Indiana can be better.

Sep 11, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton cheers for the Indiana Fever on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith / Grace Smith/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Having Siakam for a training camp and for more of the campaign will help, too. He's only been with the franchise since January and played in 41 games — exactly half — for the blue and gold last year. There's 41 more games for him to participate in, health permitting, and he'll get more chemistry with his team during his first-ever camp out of Toronto.

"This is the most continuity I've ever had through a few seasons. I'm excited to have all the guys back," Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said. "We don't spend a lot of time putting things in, but rather reminding guys of things."

The advancement of young talent and Siakam's natural comfort are the obvious ways Indiana could be better. However, neither of those things say anything about on-court strategy or specific skill improvements.

During media day, several players noted their belief that the Pacers, armed with the same roster, could improve by being a better defensive team. They finished 24th in defensive rating last season, but they were 18th after the All-Star break. Throughout the year, they improved on the less glamorous end of the hardwood.

"For someone who's seen so many rosters and whatnot, it was a very refreshing feeling," Pacers center Myles Turner said of the continuity. "Continuity is definitely something strong, you know, definitely credit the front office for that."

Rebounding is also a skill that the Pacers hope to get better at. Many rotation players discussed the need to hit the glass more effectively in the coming season. It was a major factor in the postseason last year.

Altogether, the Pacers are in the right position to be a team that uses continuity to their advantage. Early in the season, they should be more in sync than other squads, and they may pick up a few extra wins as a result. They were able to hit the ground running in training camp on Tuesday.

Mar 27, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry (25) defends Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the first quarter at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

Being so young makes it all possible. Back in 2021, Indiana was hoping continuity would help them build off of a season in which they finished fourth in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they finished under .500 for the next two campaigns with a similar core. Running it back didn't work at that time.

But that group was older. They had fewer internal improvement candidates, and many injury prone players combined with a low ceiling style made continuity less valuable for those groups. T.J. McConnell, who was a member of the Pacers then and now, said that the experience the current group has in the postseason makes them worth keeping together.

The current team is younger. They have a proven style that works and can lead to a high ceiling. They have All-NBA level talent.

Their plan may not work, but banking on continuity to help repeat the success of last season makes sense. "I think the main theme this year for us is we want to build on what we did last year," head coach Rick Carlisle said. "We believe we can get better," he added later.

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• Pascal Siakam hosting and motivating Indiana Pacers teammates for minicamp in Orlando. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers assistant GM Kelly Krauskopf leaving the team for a role with Indiana Fever. CLICK HERE.
• Pacers GM Chad Buchanan on Myles Turner's future: 'We want him to be here'. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers center James Wiseman dealing with groin injury heading into season. CLICK HERE.
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