Indiana Pacers are drama free
The Bucks have to deal with constant speculation and noise on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s free agency which is still quite a ways away. The Sixers have drama with… well… everything.
All things considered, the Pacers run a tight ship. They treat players and people well and don’t operate on a cost-cutting frequency, they play to win games and put forth a high quality product on the floor. Something about that has insulated them from the typical drama and craziness that comes with most NBA teams.
Indiana is cut and dry, but somehow keeps things exciting. The closest thing to drama the team had this year was the T.J. Warren/Jimmy Butler standoff, and that’s more a display of team energy and competitive fire than anything else.
Other teams will enter this offseason with questions about the future of the team at-large, but more granularly their executives, coaches, and roster.
Brett Brown is assuredly on the hot seat in Philadelphia, as is Elton Brand. Brooklyn has fallen victim to the pitfall of rapid change and development and the need to adjust your foundation quickly to match the changes and has a vacant coaching slot as a result. Toronto has several players coming off the roster which will make them an active team in free agency this summer, putting them at the center of rumors whether they like it or not.
Most teams can’t escape this drama that is more often than not a product of the newsy cycle and the way we consume the NBA. Indiana has secured its future and kept the message and directives consistent from the top down and done just that.