13. Indiana Pacers
Identified as one of the most intriguing young teams in the Eastern Conference heading into the start of the season, the Indiana Pacers have shown some signs of promise through the first two weeks of the season. Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner continue to lead the way for the team and the offseason signing of Bruce Brown has paid dividends for the team considering how well he’s played so far this season.
Admittedly, there has to be some concern about Bennedict Mathurin and a possible sophomore slump. After an encouraging rookie season, Mathurin has struggled to start the year. He’s playing fewer minutes per game (at least partly due to the signing of Brown) and is shooting the ball less efficiently.
Tracking how Mathurin continues to develop this season will be key for the Pacers. If they’re going to make the postseason in the Eastern Conference, you’d have to believe that they’re going to need Mathurin to snap out of this early-season slump.