Many scenarios in play for the Pacers
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Remember when only a handful of teams in the NBA were considered contenders? Much like the mid-range game: That appears to be a thing of the past. Just look at the NBA standings through the first 30+ games this season. The parity is pretty remarkable. There are teams in both conferences that are right in the middle of contender/pretender territory. One through eleven in the West is only separated by five games or so. Things are no different for the Indiana Pacers. They, too, are staring at a number of possibilities for the direction this season may end up going.
With a record of 15-16, the Pacers have already exceeded expectations this season, as many experts had them winning 22-25 total games. At the same time, Indiana is only a few games better than 11th in the East, with a difficult schedule ahead.
They’ve dropped seven of their last 10 games and with a few recent late-game collapses under their belt, the Pacers could be trending toward their expected fate as a lottery team. And that may be the best thing for the franchise in the long run. But you could also make the case that this team is play-in worthy if they became a surprise buyer at the Trade Deadline. The next 15-20 games could determine a lot about the next steps.
The most likely scenario is still trading Myles Turner and possibly others for more picks and future assets. Is it possible for this team to exceed expectations, build some momentum for the future, and still end up with a nice draft pick? Absolutely.
“We’ll keep learning,” said Head Coach Rick Carlisle Sunday night. “This is what you go through when you’re building a foundation. You go through some difficult circumstances. This is a great test for us. I’m not using the excuse of a rebuild. These are just realities.”
Indiana now hits the road for three tough ones at Boston, Miami, and New Orleans. The direction could become a little clearer from now until the early part of the new year. Or, this group could win just enough to make things interesting for the front office and fan base.
