Eight months ago, the Indiana Pacers were playing in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, they are at the bottom of the East at 15-40, largely due to myriad injuries, namely to star guard Tyrese Haliburton. How would our team grade their season up to this point? Here’s what they had to say!
The Pacers have officially bottomed out, but they find themselves in a pretty unique position. I didn’t expect the reigning Eastern Conference champions to be this bad without star guard Tyrese Haliburton, but it’s also not the worst thing in the world. Andrew Nembhard, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson and Johnny Furphy, among others, have received a plethora of developmental opportunities. They also acquired Ivica Zubac, a perfect fit alongside Haliburton, at the deadline. And they are likely going to acquire a loaded draft class — let’s hope the pick doesn’t fall between 5-9! It’s not all bad, despite the losses piling up on the court.
Grade: D+