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8p9s Roundtable: The Pacers are better than expected, but is trouble ahead?

By William Furr

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 06: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers points to the court in celebration during the game against the Chicago Bulls at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 6, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 06: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers points to the court in celebration during the game against the Chicago Bulls at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 6, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Lance Stephenson of the Indiana Pacers
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 12: Lance Stephenson #1 of the Indiana Pacers high fives fans during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 12, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /

What will the Pacers record look like by the end of the year?

Eggers: The Pacers will finish with around a 40-42 record. The latter half of their schedule is pretty tough, and I’m worried about this injury for Turner. If he’s out for more than just the next few days, that defense won’t be able to put up wins no matter how well they’re playing offensively.

Furr: This team has a lot of tough games down the stretch. I’d be really impressed if the Pacers finish the 2nd half of the season over .500, and therefor the season too. Somewhere between 40 and 42 wins seems reasonable; anything over 44 would be a (happy) surprise.

Renz: 42-40. The second-half of the season isn’t likely to be better than the Pacers’ first-half, and that’s okay. There’s some tough basketball and a handful of road trips to come. There are the injuries to consider. A .500-ish finish and a playoff-appearance would still give the Pacers a strong season to be proud of.

East: 41-41. If you read Ryan Eggers piece last week, you know that the Pacers have some obstacles in terms of rest in the second half of the season. Don’t forget too that they have two different road trips coming up in the second half of the season, though they are doing well in the first one now. A challenging second half schedule will prevent them from getting too far over .500, but the playoff push should let them win a few games that they normally shouldn’t and I think they ultimately finish 41-41.

Gibson: 44-38. I think they’ll ultimately win a few more games than we expect thanks to their style of play. As we saw against the Cavaliers and other teams this season, even when they’re down they can rip off enough points to keep themselves in games even when they trail by 20 or more.

I’m not betting too much on them winning more than 44 games, and I’d certainly take the under if money were on the the line. But unless the Pacers trade away veterans to get younger, they’re going to surprise us with a record just above .500.

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