Pacers Heavily Rise in Fresh NBA Power Rankings

Courtney Tate | 3 Hours Ago

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The NBA made some major moves in this week’s NBA Power Rankings with a new top team along with a big jump by the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers struggled early in the season to close out games defensively, putting them at No. 25 in the NBA Power Rankings just last week. Now, having won their last two matchups, the NBA moved the team up five spots placing them at No. 20.

In Sunday’s matchup against the Pelicans, the Pacers showcased a well-balanced offense led by a team-high-scoring performance from Pascal Siakam with 22 points. Other notable players during that matchup include Tyrese Haliburton with 21 points, Andrew Nembhard with 17 points, Obi Toppin with 16 points, and Myles Turner with 14 points.

This comes off a previous win against the Philadelphia 76ers led by Tyrese Haliburton who put on a masterclass performance finishing with 32 points and 11 assists.

It seems as though Indiana is trending upward, finding ways to close out games on the road and having productive contributions from their supporting cast. Some spectators believe the Pacers need more of a test in the strength of their opponents before determining if there’s been some real improvement. The team’s last six games have been against teams under .500.

However, the previous two wins against the Pelicans and 76ers were the Pacers’ largest margin of victory, beating both teams by over ten points (14 and 15). Just ten days ago, Indiana didn’t have a single win recorded that was above a 5-point margin of victory.

It’s safe to say, if the Pacers continue competing at level they played in their last two matchups, we could continue seeing this young core climb the ranks in the league.

Indiana faces a huge test in the coming weeks as the team prepares for their toughest stretch of the season yet. The next nine games will be against opponents who are at or above .500. They are also met with the challenge of a three-game road trip against Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and the Golden State Warriors. All of them feature some of the best offensive players in the league.

In order to come out with some big wins in the coming weeks, the Pacers will need to continue improving defensively. The front office addressed the issue of rim protection by making a trade for Thomas Bryant.

The team will also need more consistency offensively from the team as a whole, as the competition will only get fiercer for the Pacers from here.

More on Pacers: Blockbuster Trade Proposal Has Pacers Land $75M Star From East Rival