Despite their turbulence late in the season and into the NBA Playoffs, the Indiana Pacers have been a model of consistency and their future is bright
Even after being swept and eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first-round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, the Indiana Pacers should no longer be overlooked or counted out heading into next season.
For the series, Indiana fought hard and gave the Celtics a run for their money without a single all-star on their active roster and with their best player, Victor Oladipo, out with an injury. Still, the Pacers were in every game and only lost one of them (Game 1) by double-figures.
However, if the Pacers had Oladipo, they could have possibly challenged the Celtics a bit more – and perhaps even pushed them to a seven game series.
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The Pacers have been a stalwart team in NBA history for years. The Indiana Pacers have been a model of consistency over the years. The Pacers have made the playoffs eight out of the last nine years and have made the Eastern Conference Finals twice in the last seven years.
The Pacers drafted Paul George in 2010 and spent the next seven seasons building a team around him.
After Paul George decided to leave the franchise, the Pacers were able to identify and cultivate Victor Oladipo into a player worthy to be the face of a franchise, something that really wasn’t predicted by any other team in the NBA.
Even after losing Paul George in 2017, the Pacers still clinched the 5th seed last season behind a career year from Oladipo and took the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers to Game 7 in the first-round of the NBA Playoffs.
Needless to say, the Pacers started this season with some expectations. And, initially, they exceed those expectations before Victor Oladio got injured. The Pacers, before Oladipo got injured, were 31-15 and the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Midway through the season, the Pacers were on pace to win their most games in the last five years.
When Oladipo went down, though, the Pacers could’ve pivoted to a tank and tried to get a higher draft pick. Instead, they cruised their way to another playoff berth and finished as the 5th seed in the East.
Who’s to say what a lesser franchise would’ve done while being dealt the same cards? Instead, the Pacers stepped up and played hard. And their players stepped up. One player in particular that stepped up during the absence of Oladipo was Bojan Bogdanovic. After the injury to Oladipo, Bogdanovic averaged 21 points per game.
Few franchises could have the turmoil the Pacers the last three seasons and had the type of on-the-court success they have had in the NBA.
Similar to the Pacers, the Spurs last season lamented about not having their best player Kawhi Leonard play all season. However, the Spurs had time to adjust after Kawhi Leonard decided not play. And the Spurs had LaMarcus Aldridge, who is a multiple time All-Start, to led their team,
For the Pacers, defense and the depth of their roster has been their identity as a team. This season, the Pacers featured eight players that averaged over 10 points per game and nine players that played over 20 minutes per game. The Pacers are probably the best defensive team in the NBA and are first in the NBA in opponents points per game, even without Victor Oladipo playing.
Perhaps the best aspect of this all is that the Indiana Pacers still have room for growth. Heading in to the summer, the Pacers have a ton of cap space and plenty to build on. Moving forward, the Pacers should not be underestimated. If they can push the right buttons this summer, their future is bright.