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5 Reasons the Pacers Can Make Playoffs

By Adam Lukach

Oct 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) goes pasts Memphis Grizzlies forward Jeff Green (32) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Memphis won the game, 112-103. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) goes pasts Memphis Grizzlies forward Jeff Green (32) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Memphis won the game, 112-103. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 1, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Jason Richardson (23) is guarded by Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Philadelphia 94-74. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Jason Richardson (23) is guarded by Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Philadelphia 94-74. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The East

This one isn’t news, but it’s true once again this season. The Cavaliers and Bulls appear to be the two clearly strongest teams in the conference, and after that, it’s hard to tell how good anyone is going to be. The Hawks are 1-1 so far on the young season and still trying to replace Demarre Carroll with Kent Bazemore, and while the Celtics are many experts’ darling, their depth still feels like an overrated asset considering their established talent pool.

Most of the rest of the teams worth considering in the East are in similar situations as the Pacers: undergoing serious changes following busy offseason changes, including the Heat, Bucks, Wizards, and Raptors.

That will hopefully help nullify Indiana’s growing pains against some of those teams, and based on the way they played against the Raptors on opening night in Toronto, it’s not unreasonable to aim to be ahead of them come the second half of the season, as our own Tim Donahue pointed out.

From what we’ve seen so far, the Pacers look better than the rest of the sad Eastern Conference rodeo with enough potential to thrust themselves into the middle of the pack in the East by season’s end.

Next: 3. The Return

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