Pacers News: Indiana Demoted in Week 1 League Power Rankings

Indiana has had an uneven start to its 2024-25 regular season.

Oct 30, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) holds back forward Pascal Siakam (43) on during a game against the Boston Celtics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith-Imagn Images / Grace Smith-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers have gotten off to an uneven start through the first week of their 2024-25 regular season.

Following an encouraging overtime victory against the mighty Boston Celtics (in a 2024 Eastern Conference Finals rematch) on Wednesday, Indiana has managed to build out its record to a semi-respectable 2-3. All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the team's best player last year and its ostensible bright future star, has struggled mightily as a shooter so far. The 6-foot-5 Iowa State product is averaging a scant 14.6 points on a brutal .346/.250/.667 slash line, 6.6 assists and 5.0 rebounds through his first five games.

Former two-time All-NBA power forward Pascal Siakam has been the club's best player this year. The 6-foot-8 vet, 30, is averaging an encouraging 20.6 points on .547/.458/.625 shooting splits (that would be, by far, his best 3-point conversion rate over a full season — on 4.8 attempts!), plus 7.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 0.8 steals a night. Those numbers are generally along the lines of his averages since 2019-20 — he's notching 22.6 points on .486/.338/.770 shooting splits, 7.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks per bout.

Now, the Pacers have been thoroughly demoted in a recent leaguewide team power rankings from The Sporting News' Stephen Noh, cascading five spots from his preseason list to No. 17.

"Tyrese Haliburton has had a rough start," Noh acknowledged. "He did hit a heavily contested miracle 3 to send the Pacers into overtime against the Sixers and had his first good game in Monday's loss to the Magic, but he's hitting just 26.5 percent of his 3s while averaging 14.0 points per game. His timing looks very off."

Noh also observed that the team, which had thrived on a run-and-gun scoring style last season en route to the Eastern Conference Finals, had declined in that aspect this year.

"That transition attack that defined their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season is gone — they rank 22nd in the league in average time before they take a shot," Noh wrote.

Head coach Rick Carlisle implemented a stellar offense that helped guide Indiana to a 47-35 record and that aforementioned East Finals appearance, emphasizing movement and shooting. It was all orchestrated by Haliburton, though, and if he is not at that All-NBA level the club's upside is in trouble.

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