9. Indiana Pacers (38-20)
The Indiana Pacers are going to be one of those teams in the playoffs that might be over-matched in a first-round playoff series, even though they’re the higher seed. Mostly, because of the loss of Victor Oladipo. In the playoffs, you needs stars to win. The Pacers will be without theirs.
With that said, that doesn’t take away from the season that this team has had. They will likely finish as a top 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, and will make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. It’s certainly a great step in their progression as a franchise.
This off-season, the team has a ton of turnover ahead of them. It’s going to be interesting to see what they elect to do in the summer and in free agency. They will have money to spend, and possibly an intriguing core.