On the evening of January 23, the Indiana Pacers hosted the Toronto Raptors in an important Eastern Conference battle. With four minutes left in the first half, the Pacers led the Raps by eight. Then, tragedy struck. While hustling to defend a Pascal Siakam fastbreak, Indiana’s All-Star G Victor Oladipo took an awkward step and instantly crumpled to the ground.
The following day, it was announced that Oladipo had suffered a ruptured quad tendon in his knee. He would need season-ending surgery. The depressing atmosphere that followed this news could be felt by everyone across the league. Many claimed the Pacers wouldn’t be able to recover. Thus arises a question. Can the Pacers actually make the playoffs without Victor Oladipo?
The Pacers are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference. They’re 5-5 in their last 10 games and have lost four of their six games since Oladipo went down. Three of those four losses came to teams under .500, and they were blown out by 32 points at the hands of the Warriors.
Their only wins in that time-frame came over the Miami Heat and a now AD-less NOLA. These numbers may seem discouraging, but the Pacers have now won two games in a row. Maybe the team has finally found their rhythm after the gruesome injury, which is hopefully the case. Looking at the games to come, they’ll need all the momentum they can muster.
Looking Forward
Indiana has the 10th-most difficult schedule heading forward based on average opponent win percentage (51.1%). It goes without saying that the rest of the season will be a struggle for the Pacers to pull together wins. Their upcoming games include two meetings with the league-best Bucks, two games against the Nuggets, and another match against Golden State. They may not end the season on a winning note, or even with a winning record, but do the Pacers need to keep their previous pace to make the playoffs?
In the top-heavy Eastern Conference, teams don’t necessarily need to be contenders to make the playoffs. The top four(ish) teams in the East are seen as Conference Finals contenders, compared to the Western Conference where the top-eight seeds could legitimately reach the West Finals.
That leaves room for four average teams to sneak into the playoffs in the East. Currently, Indiana, Brooklyn, Charlotte, and Miami hold those seeds. With Caris LeVert returning in the near future, the Nets have a playoff spot virtually secured, while Charlotte and Miami may fall in and out of the bottom seeds. Indiana is currently nine games ahead of the eighth seed. Even if the Pacers win less than half of their remaining 30 games, they’ll still likely end up with a fifth-sixth seed.
Conclusion
The Pacers have been successful so far this season due to their chemistry and depth. With only one All-Star on the team, Indiana has relied on their teamwork and flexibility to mix-and-match lineups. So far, it’s worked. Now missing Victor Oladipo, it may end up being a struggle for the Pacers to put together wins against contending teams. Regardless, as long as Indiana can put this horrific injury behind them, they’ll be able to make the playoffs without a problem.
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