13. Indiana Pacers (39-26)
The Indiana Pacers will be heading into the bubble without Victor Oladipo. Even though his absence will certainly hurt the Pacers – and specifically their chances of potentially making a deep run in the playoffs – it’s not like his absence from the bubble will entirely disqualify the team either.
This is a team that played quite well even without Oladipo healthy on the roster. Without Oladipo, there’s no question that the Pacers’ ceiling will fall. There’s no question about that. They’ll still be a difficult out when the playoffs start. The Pacers have rising young stars and have been a stingy defensive team this season.
The Pacers enter the bubble as a good, not great team. And I don’t think anyone would argue with that assessment. If Oladipo was healthy and participating in the bubble, perhaps they’d be ranked a bit higher. For the time being, though, considering their situation, the Pacers will be nothing more than a tough first-round out.