8 points, 9 seconds
Fansided

A nightmare scenario is looming for the Pacers

By Ryan Eggers

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 9: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers grabs the rebound against the Boston Celtics on February 9, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 9: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers grabs the rebound against the Boston Celtics on February 9, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers
BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 09: Victor Oladipo #4 and Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers react during the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 9, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /

Scenario 1: The Pacers pull off a miracle (Good)

The first (and probably most unlikely) scenario is that this team holds up and continues to improve. They actually grab the 4 or 5 seed and end up maybe even winning a playoff round. In such a world, the Pacers leap to the front of the pack that is the back half of the Eastern Conference playoff contenders and defeat teams that are much better on paper than them.

For scheduling reasons, this will be a tough feat. But, their immediate future looks good. Their final game before heading into the All-Star break is against the Brooklyn Nets, who are 19-38 on the year. And their first three games back? The Atlanta Hawks (18-39), the Dallas Mavericks (18-39) and the Hawks again.

Even though three of those four games are on the road, the Pacers stand a good chance at finishing 3-1 on the stretch. If they picked up all four games, they’d be 36-25 and almost assuredly fourth in the East.

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And so maybe, if they can ride that momentum and go through their last quarter of the season without burning out, the team could actually do what no one believed it could do: be a playoff contender.

And then maybe they could get some wins in the playoffs too. Barring catastrophic injuries, though, even a best-case scenario for this team doesn’t put them anywhere near championship level.

So, even though this scenario ends in the Pacers getting a bad pick for the 2018 draft, the wins would be invaluable to this team’s chemistry going forward. For Victor Oladipo and Myles Turner, such success would be great for their confidence and ability to lead as the rebuild goes into its next phase.

All in all, if the Pacers somehow pulled this all off, it’d be a good thing for now and the future.

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