NBA: Predicting How The Eastern Conference Playoff Picture Will Settle

Indiana Pacers

Record: 30-26, 5th Seed

Remaining Schedule: 26 games remaining; 13 vs teams over .500

As perhaps the team with the best player of all the second-tier teams in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers are always going to be dangerous when it comes to make a run late in the season. At any moment, Paul George can catch fire and lead the Pacers to five or six straight wins. And that might be enough to catapult them into the third or fourth seed.

But if there’s one thing that the Pacers need to do before the playoffs, assuming that they make it, is that they need to get healthy.

George Hill (elbow) doesn’t look healthy, despite playing recently, C.J. Miles (calf) missed the team’s recent loss against the Miami Heat and Rodney Stuckey (ankle, foot) is still out. If Indiana wants homecourt advantage in any first round series – which means clinching the third or fourth seed – they need to be healthy. Right now, they simply aren’t, despite their recent success.

(Prediction): 46-36

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