8p9s Roundtable: Concerns for the Indiana Pacers at the Halfway Point
By Ben Gibson
The Eastern Conference has been more competitive than expected with Indiana currently sitting in 6th. Any fear of them missing the playoffs?
Wade: No. Aside from the Cavs (on the good end) and the Sixers, Nets, and Bucks (on the bad end), there really isn’t a ton of difference between the rest of the conference. So it is definitely possible, and these late-game collapses paired with a few bad late calls might could end up being the difference. But I still think they have enough good, cohesive talent and their point differential (fourth best in the East) still suggests they’re in the upper level of this parity cluster.
Furr: It’s certainly possible the Pacers could miss the playoffs, but I don’t think they will. I’ve pegged them somewhere in the 4-6 range all along, and I think that is still reasonable.
Donahue: I was asked this before Friday night’s game, and I said, “No.” Getting run out of their own gym by the (currently) 10th place team in the East has left me considerably less sanguine. My biggest worry is that opponents have figured this team out, and the Pacers don’t have a counter. They have basically lived on hitting shots, and that’s not going to be good enough as other teams get it together.
Barth: No reason this team should miss the playoffs if they stay healthy. The East is a lot better this year, but so are the Pacers. The last several games, which could have easily been won, will haunt this team down the road though. They should be a top 5 team in the East, but most likely will have to settle for the 6-8th seed.
Washburn: The Pacers could definitely miss the playoffs. They’ve had pretty good injury luck so far this year all things considered. Indiana is still a very young team that’s struggling to find itself, and one major injury could really throw a monkey wrench into the season. But I believe in Frank Vogel, and the Pacers finish the season with nine or ten very winnable games over the last thirteen (shout out to Hardwood Paroxysm for that observation). Optimistically, I think they could finish third. Realistically, they seem like more of a four to seven seed.
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