The Indiana Pacers and their Lack of National Attention

The Indiana Pacers continue winning tough games as the halfway point came and went, but they still aren’t included in the East’s group of contenders.

The NBA’s upper-middle class is a log jam. Three games at most separate the two through six seeds in both the East and West. The championship potential of each of these teams is not necessarily as tight. Few consider the Miami Heat to have similar title odds as the Los Angeles Clipper, but only a game and a half would keep them apart on the standings.

Several members of this group are commonly associated with the “needs one move to become true title contenders” niche. The Boston Celtics need a big. The Dallas Mavericks need a stout wing defender. The Denver Nuggets need to turn depth into one more key player. The Heat need….to do something with their trove of expiring contracts.

When it comes to the Indiana Pacers, they are just glossed over. Most nationally produced NBA podcasts or talk head shows will typically give the “Oh and can’t forget Indiana is good” but nothing more. There seems to be an inevitability with the Pacers being a part of this space, but with no possible moves to move them up the ladder.

“The Pacers, they are intriguing!” the Warriors broadcasting team said last night.

That is sort of surprise that wouldn’t be possible if Indiana got the broader coverage they deserve.

This team has the potential to send two players to the All-Star game for the first time since the peak of the Blue Collar, Gold Swagger era at the beginning of last decade. They sit two and a half games out of the East’s two seed with 37 games to play. Home court advantage is there for the taking.

Indiana either matches or exceeds the depth of all the title contenders. Going a strong 10 players deep in the second half would not be a tough ask for this team. They currently lack the all out superstar others possess, but players five through eight in their rotation remain a true strength.

Although he is not currently be a superstar, Domantas Sabonis may well be on his way. He’s a mix between prime Zach Randolph and Nikola Jokic. Sabonis can bully players with brute force, but he also has the touch and vision to finish in traffic and find cutters. There isn’t much flash to his game,  the only real SportsCenter moments he provides are his final box score tallies.

Only the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers really have the personnel to match-up with what he and Myles Turner bring to the table. They are a combo designed in a different era, but with the modern flair.  They cover each other’s limitations offensively and defensively to a T.

The Pacers also have maybe one weaker defensive link in their entire rotation, but have the ability to cover it with their plethora of strong wing defenders. The additions of Malcolm Brogdon, Justin Holiday, and, surprisingly enough, T.J. Warren have given Indiana enough diversity to guard nearly every team in the league.

Since there is only a few days left until the return of Victor Oladipo, the conversation may take a turn from there. If he hits the ground running, the ceiling of this team is immediately raised. “Since when are the Pacers running away with the two seed?!” could be something heard by late March.

All the discourse has been about how the Heat have been a first half revelation and the Celtics are a dark horse contender. Both teams have been almost entirely healthy, but are both one bad weekend from being behind Indiana in the standings.

There’s something to say about this lack of recognition. Maybe the Pacers aren’t a team that moves the needle on a national basis, but they do deserve the same level of recognition as teams peers. The only two differences among this class is the national recognition and one of them is getting their best player back for the second half.