NBA: Which team will finish third in the Eastern Conference?

Indiana Pacers

Will Indiana continue their success without Victor Oladipo? Can the new acquisition’s overshadow the departure’s production? Will Malcolm Brogdon step up?

Before Victor Oladipo’s season-ending injury, the Pacers had a 32-15 record – placing them third in the East.

Before his injury, the All-Star averaged 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.7 steals. Indiana didn’t falter, led by Nate McMillan, the Pacers finished as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 48-34 record.

Oladipo is eyeing a return in January which is nearly halfway into the season. So this team will have to replicate their success a season ago with opposing teams being more prepared. Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner are still improving as players but it wont quite be enough.

The Pacers lost a few quality players that stepped up after Oladipo fell. A player like Bojan Bogdanovic that averaged 20.7 points, sharpshooter Wesley Matthews, and versatile wing defender Thaddeus Young.

With those loses, they were also able to bring in some valuable players – specifically scorers. They added T.J McConnell, Jeremy Lamb, T.J Warren, and most importantly, Malcolm Brogdon.

Brogdon was acquired via sign-and-trade. Ultimately, signing a four-year, $85 million contract. He is going to be key in the success of Indiana this season. Coming off a career year with Milwaukee, he averaged 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, while shooting 50 percent from the field and 42 from beyond the arc.

In my opinion, he has the most significant role. Brogdon will be looked upon to be the focal point in Indiana’s offense. This team is already a stacked defensive unit, being ranked third in the league behind defensive anchor Myles Turner. Their biggest problem will come offensively.

Indiana ranked in the bottom half of the league with an offensive rating of 109.4. So adding scorers like T.J Warren (18 points per game) and Jeremy Lamb (15.3 points per game) will immensely help this unit offensively.

If the Pacers can linger around the 5-8 range in the Eastern Conference prior to Oladipo’s return, then I give them a good shot at claiming that third seed. It will all depend on Brogdon’s continued development and the scoring consistency of the recently added members.

McMillan and the Pacers will depend heavily on their defense to win games and will have to weather the storm as Oladipo continues rehabbing. Indiana might shock us once again.