4 NBA playoff teams most likely to take a surprisingly bad step back in 2024-25

Indiana Pacers

This could be a difficult sell. However, even though the Indiana Pacers finished as the 6th seed heading into the NBA Playoffs, this team is largely going to be compared to what they managed to do in the postseason. The Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and then the New York Knicks in the conference semifinals. For better or worse, the Pacers are heading into this season with conference finals expectations. Anything less than that will be considered a step back for a team that has tremendous talent. That's the biggest reason I believe the Pacers will end up regressing a big this year.

I think there could be some growing pains as they bring back Bennedict Mathurin from injury and try to fit everyone perfectly in one rotation. It could be difficult and it could hurt the team's overall chemistry. It's something to watch early on for the Pacers.

With how much the rest of the Eastern Conference improved this offseason, there's a chance the Pacers lose in the first round of the playoffs. If that does happen, it will be considered a pretty steep step back for the team.