Throughout this winter, OFD will be looking at some of the positive surprises and disappointments among teams this NBA season. Stay tuned for the last surprise team and then five disappointments over the next couple weeks.
Going into the season, the Pacers weren’t really sure what they were. While they emerged from the Paul George trade in excellent shape (more on that later), they weren’t exactly sure how the year would go. With Kawhi and Lebron firmly out of the East, there may be a chance to contend, but their own star, Victor Oladipo, was injured, and his timetable was unclear. Also, there was the hanging question about their frontcourt – could Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis play together?
Through 45 games, some questions remain, but the ones which have been answered look ok to the Pacers faithful. Despite some early struggles, the Pacers sit in the morass near the top of the East, currently in 5th place, but just two games behind the 2nd place Heat, and a whopping 8 games above the 7th place Magic. Turner may have taken somewhat of a back-seat, but Sabonis is a double-double machine and potential All-Star – he just notched his first career triple-double this week.
Meanwhile, their spate of offseason acquisitions have generally proven to be a success. TJ Warren and Jeremy Lamb have filled their roles on the wing, while draft pick Goga Bitadze has proven he belongs in the NBA when he’s needed in the middle. The most impactful was the trade for Malcolm Brogdon, who the Pacers plucked from the Bucks. While the Pacers surrendered some valuable draft capital in the deal, the former Rookie of Year has more than lived up to the value, leading the team while he’s been on the floor. His emergence as a lead ball-handler has allowed him to be a fulcrum of a surprisingly efficient offense and should allow further dynamism, allowing Oladipo to show his off-ball talents.
Oladipo (coming off a star-turn in the Masked Singer) is the real variable for this Pacers team. He’s expected to be integrated back into the rotation next Wednesday when the Pacers play the Bulls. Oladipo was an All-NBA player before his traumatic knee injury, but we don’t know how he’ll look when he gets back. If he can even be 80% of what he was as he’s working his way back into his best form, this Pacers team could work their way into home court in the first round and be a physical, grueling matchup for another team in the East.
They are a surprise not only for this season (though expectations were lower than a ~50 win pace) but for the way the Pacers have emerged from the Paul George era. After the trade to OKC, Sabonis and Oladipo were thought to be an underwhelming package, but have proven to both be all-star level players. The Hoosier State definitely has a team to be proud of.
