“Sorry, but even if the Indiana Pacers aren’t the worst team in the league, they’re easily the least interesting… These guys are going to push their substandard talent and pray for 34 wins but will probably fall short in forgettable fashion.” Grant Hughes. BR.
That was the NBA’s general view of the Pacers at the beginning of the season. They were a team that traded their superstar forward, Paul George, and got nearly nothing in return in the form of Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. Indiana was expected to end up near the bottom of the league. Instead, they surpassed all expectations and finished 48-34, good for fifth in the East. In the playoffs, the Pacers lost in the first round to LeBron and the Cavaliers in seven games. Still, the impression the series left was that the Pacers played solid team basketball and could go toe-to-toe with other top NBA teams.
The Core
The Pacers unexpected success was mainly because of Victor Oladipo’s emergence as a legitimate superstar, averaging a 23/5/4 stat line, and even leading the league in steals, with 2.4 per game. Due to his efforts, Oladipo was named an All-Star for the first time in his young career. He also earned a Third-Team All-NBA spot and a First-Team Defensive Spot.
Still, Oladipo wasn’t the only reason for the Pacers playoff season. The whole team exceeded expectations. An afterthought in the PG trade, Sabonis averaged 11.6 PPG and 7.7 RPG off the bench. Rising star Myles Turner finished fifth in blocks and was a big part of the Pacers fourth-ranked defense. Thaddeus Young and Darren Collison provided solid, consistent play throughout the season, and even Lance Stephenson, with his flashy dimes and eccentric celebrations, helped the team win games.
With the surprise success of the 2017-2018 season behind, the future looks even brighter for the Pacers. The core guys are all younger than 27, Oladipo (26), Turner (22), and Sabonis (22). They’re all also under contract for at least two more seasons.
The Offseason
Furthermore, the Pacers also added Tyreke Evans, Doug McDermott, and Kyle O’Quinn in free agency. Of the three, McDermott is the only one with a contract lasting longer than a season, and paying $7 million/year to a young sharpshooter doesn’t seem like overpaying. Evans is undoubtedly the best player Indiana has signed in free agency in recent years. He averaged 19/5/5 in 52 games last year, the most he’s played since his rookie season. If Tyreke can stay healthy the Pacers have a surprisingly strong candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. Evans can also provide value as a shooter, shooting 39.9% from deep last season in Memphis. O’Quinn, upon signing, said: “I just felt like at this point, I owed it to myself to be a part of something bigger than the next year’s Draft.” He’s a tenacious rebounder and solid defender. He should be effective in limited minutes.
The Pacers lost fan favorite Lance Stephenson in free agency. The move might hurt, considering his antics were loved by the fanbase, but as put by GM Kevin Pritchard “sometimes he was the best player on our team and sometimes he was the best player on the other team.” Indiana also lost former Slam Dunk champion Glenn Robinson III. He was injured most of last season, and McDermott should be able to provide more consistent bench value.
In the draft, the Pacers picked UCLA PG Aaron Holiday 23rd overall. He’s a solid defender with a long wingspan and can knock down spot-up jumpers consistently. Currently, he’s the third option, but he could easily surpass Cory Joseph if he provides a spark early. The Pacers also drafted power forward Alize Johnson in the second round, and after a solid Summer League, he seems likely to make the roster.
The Competition
Indiana will compete in the seemingly weaker East, with the only real threats being the Celtics, that will improve with the return of All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, and the 76ers. The Raptors have also emerged as contenders in the East after trading one of their best players in recent history (DeMar DeRozan) for a one-year rental of superstar forward Kawhi Leonard. The Cavs, in my opinion, became one of the worst teams in the entire Association with LeBron’s departure (even though some people think Kevin Love will carry them).
Speaking of the King, his decision to leave the East is simply parade-worthy for the Pacers. Indiana was eliminated by a LeBron led team in five of their last six playoff appearances. With the King out of the picture, the Pacers might have a shot at making the Finals.
The Pacers have many reasons to look forward to next season. If the pieces fall just right, they might very well reach their first NBA Finals since 2000.
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