NBA Monthly Roundup: 3 December takeaways and 3 January predictions

December Takeaway: The Pacers are a real contender in the East*

*If Victor Oladipo can get healthy*

They aren’t going to win the Eastern Conference – that’s not what I’m implying. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t give any team in the East outside of the Bucks a really tough series and possibly even win.

This is really two-fold. For one, it’s a nod to the job Nate McMillan and the players are doing in the absence of their star and franchise player, Victor Oladipo. Most notably, a lot of credit has to go to Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis, who are each playing the best basketball of their young careers. The Pacers are on pace (unintentional pun but I’m leaving it) for over 50 wins which would have to put Nate McMillan in the running for Coach of the Year honors.

But it’s also a reflection of how muddy the picture is at the top of the Eastern Conference aside from the Bucks. The Pacers, Heat, and Raptors have all overachieved so far, while the 76ers have underachieved, finding themselves slotted in the 5 spot right now after being a popular preseason pick to go to the Finals.

The problem for the Pacers is offense, where they rank 17th in offensive efficiency, pretty low for any team that hopes to contend in the postseason. But if Oladipo comes back and is even remotely close to the 2018 version of himself that earned him All-NBA honors, then the Pacers could enter the playoffs as one of the most balanced teams in the Eastern Conference.

Again, I won’t be picking them to come out of the East, but spots 2-6  in the standings are so up in the air that it’s hard to rule out the possibility of any of them getting hot and making it to the conference finals. If Oladipo is healthy, why not the Pacers?