8 points, 9 seconds
Fansided

The 5 Reasons the Pacers Will Make the Playoffs

By Jared Wade

Jan 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) looks to make a pass against the New York Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats New York 103-82. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) looks to make a pass against the New York Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats New York 103-82. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next

The Eastern Conference

The top six teams in the Eastern Conference are a lock for the playoffs. The Hawks, Raptors, Wizards, Bulls, Cavaliers, and Bucks will all get in.

But the bottom two spots are open and the 8th seed is wide open.

There are seven teams that have a realistic shot of finishing eighth in the conference by year’s end. Here is that full list along with their current record.

  • Miami Heat: 20-25 (.444)
  • Charlotte Hornets: 19-27 (.413)
  • Brooklyn Nets: 18-27 (.400)
  • Boston Celtics: 16-28 (364)
  • Detroit Pistons: 17-30 (.362)
  • Indiana Pacers: 17-31 (.354)
  • Orlando Magic: 15-34 (.306)

With such a pile up in the “chase” for the 8th seed, any team that goes on, say, a six-game winning streak will rocket up the standings and set themselves up for a postseason berth.

Just look at the Pistons, which were 5-23 on Christmas morning before waiving Josh Smith and going on a 11-2 run. They shot up from 13th to 9th in the East standings.

Over the past two seasons, the Hawks and Bucks both earned the 8th seed with 38 wins. For the 2011 playoffs, the Pacers made it with just 37 wins. And if we fire up the wayback machine, the 1986 Chicago Bulls once snuck in with an unthinkable 32 wins.

So there is are plenty of — even recent — precedents for bad teams getting in.

If we use the (perhaps high) number of 38 wins to ensure a berth, the Pacers must go 21-13 the rest of the way. That is a winning percentage of .617, which seems unfathomable. And it probably can’t happen.

But most of the other teams on this list of dregs also can’t come close to that winning rate either — and most won’t even eclipse .500 the rest of the way.

Here is the record that each of these other squads would have to accumulate for the rest of the year to reach 38 wins.

  • Miami Heat: 18-19 (.486)
  • Charlotte Hornets: 19-17 (.528)
  • Brooklyn Nets: 20-17 (.541)
  • Boston Celtics: 22-16 (.578)
  • Detroit Pistons: 21-14 (.600)
  • Indiana Pacers: 21-13 (.617)
  • Orlando Magic: 23-10 (.700)

Two of these teams are going to play that well for the rest of the year?

Really? I doubt it.

So expecting 38 wins for the 8th seed is probably too high. Maybe the 7th seed finishes with 38, but the 8th seed is more likely to come in around 36 wins.

The Pacers can get to 36 wins by finishing the year 19-15 (.559) in their final 34 games of the year. That is certainly doable if David West, George Hill, and Roy Hibbert are healthy the rest of the way.

Next: Injuries for Rivals

Home/Pacers News