10 ways a canceled season would impact Indiana Pacers

If the NBA season is canceled, it would impact the Indiana Pacers in a multitude of ways.

If the NBA season gets canceled, the Indiana Pacers will surely be impacted.

With COVID-19 impacting each pocket of life, the NBA is no different. The season was put on hold weeks ago to protect the safety of fans, players, and to contribute to the nation-wide need for social distancing to flatten the curve of the virus and its impact on health care systems.

As the suspension moves forward, the gap to figure out how to pick up the season moves forward. The longer this goes on, the more likely it is that the season will be canceled. While commissioner Adam Silver and the board of governors would certainly like to find a way to press on — even if the season’s finish looks different this year — it may not be possible.

If the season is canceled, here are the 10 biggest ways it would impact the Pacers.

Ends what has been a bumpy season for Indiana Pacers

This season has been positive overall, I’d say, but it’s not been without its bumps. Victor Oladipo wasn’t here until late January and showed major signs of rust once he arrived as we expected. Myles Turner didn’t take the same leap that Domantas Sabonis did when the two were paired in the starting lineup.

There were adjustments and growing pains at the start of the season, as the team started 0-3. There was a six-game losing streak, a 10-game run of 3-7, etc. Every season comes with bumps, but this one felt a little worse than usual.

Moves Indiana Pacers focus to next year

This is a given for the Pacers and every team. While there will be a process to think about “what-if?” there’s not going to be much time to pause. Furthermore, taking time to think about what could have been might not be particularly useful for keeping on with team-wide goals.

The Pacers would have to simply shift focus to next year if the season were canceled. Easier said than done.

Leaves us wondering about Miami Heat

The last time the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers played, T.J. Warren and Jimmy Butler got into a scuffle. It felt like the mid-2010s Pacers/Heat rivalry again, and it was great.

Indy lost to Miami both times they faced them and had two remaining matchups. Neither game did Indiana have Oladipo.

Given that if the playoffs started today these two would matchup, it leaves us wondering what would have happened in a 7-game series with Miami and how the Pacers could have matched up with a full squad.

Elongates Victor Oladipo’s return process

Victor Oladipo rejoined the playing team in late January after an arduous, year-long recovery process from a gruesome injury.

He was up and down. His performances ranged from rough to stellar. Ultimately, he was getting his footing back and working his way up to 100% for the playoffs.

Getting back into a groove takes time and effort. Time was the biggest thing here, and with games on pause for the time being, he’s going to be away from the court for even longer.

In retrospect, getting him back for games in January was good. At least he got some sort of action prior to the season being canceled (if it does end up that way), and won’t be going over 18 months without full-game contact.

Postponed, canceled, whichever, they will both elongate the process of Oladipo getting back to full force.

Leaves questions about Domantas Sabonis and playoff starter potential

Domantas Sabonis was injected into the starting lineup this year and the results were great. He made the All-Star team and launched up to a career-high in points, rebounds, and assists per game. He’s without a doubt been the team’s MVP.

We know he’s a solid starter in the regular season, but how about the playoffs? Being able to see how he works individually as a playoff starter and how the Turbonis frontcourt works starting together in the playoffs would have been very telling, even if it was a first or second-round exit. It’s information and film the team could have used for their campaign next year.

Coaches are much more deliberate in game planning in playoff series, and the perceived weaknesses of a Turbonis frontcourt haven’t been exploited in the regular season, but it’s possible they would be in the playoffs. Knowing some counters that might be deployed and using this season as a test run would have made next year even better.

No clarity on how Pacers would fare in less competitive East

Next year Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will presumably make their debut together with the Brooklyn Nets. The Celtics and Heat will have had a year to gel with their new-look squads.

While the talent won’t shoot up across the board too sharply in the East next year, it will be noticeable. Even one more team in the Nets running at the one seed could make for a bloodbath next season.

The Pacers will run with the best of them next year, but frankly, things would have been easier this season.

It shrinks the window to win a title

Following next season, the Pacers have a majority of their core on the books for at least another season with one major exception — Victor Oladipo.

After next season VO is an unrestricted free agent. Indiana has been great to him, but he has no obligation to stick around if he doesn’t want to. And depending on how things go next year, he might not.

It’s a bit early to be worrying about this, but if Oladipo leaves the title window does shrink and the team will need to retool and restructure completely.

It reduces spending money this summer for the Pacers

If the season is canceled, expected basketball-related income will plummet. If that happens, the salary cap declines.

For the Pacers, that actually means very little. Luckily, most of what they need is already on the books and they have an extremely low payroll.

For all 30 teams, though, a lower cap means less money to move around and less money to spend on free agents and draft picks (Indiana has no first-round draft picks, so this may also be moot).

Indy is well insulated from the ramifications of a cap drop, but certainly not 100 percent protected. No team can be.

The salary cap spike years ago had impacts on players and teams around the league for years after the fact. We may see similar runoff impacts of a dramatic cap projection drop as well, and it remains to be seen exactly what those are.

Finalizes how much team gave up for Brogdon

The season getting canceled will impact the draft. Mainly, when (and if) the NBA Draft combine takes place and where each team selects.

The biggest piece of the pie Indiana gave up was a first-round pick for Brogdon in the sign-and-trade this summer. We’ll know where that pick lands and also how much value it would have held depending on how the draft goes this year.

Provides more time for preparation heading into 2020-21

OK, a positive one! Much like the “shifting focus”, the Pacers need to turn their sights to 2021. No focusing on what could have been here, it’s not helpful.

Where is the team and where are they going? The team has more time to figure that out.