Indiana Pacers: All signs point towards Pacers running it back

How will the Indiana Pacers fare running it back?

Kevin Pritchard had a video press conference today and touched a little bit on the offseason. He said he felt comfortable bringing back this team who was the 4th seed in the playoffs and riddled with injuries last season. With limited cap space this offseason I believed this would most likely be the move for Indiana barring an Oladipo trade.

In a stronger Eastern Conference, I still project the Pacers to do quite well. A lot of people forget the Pacers, without Oladipo, were on pace to be a 50-win team before the season was abruptly halted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Pacers return all the core players from last year’s squad, which only one of those core players will not be available opening week, Jeremy Lamb.

The new coaching staff and system should breathe life into this talented Pacers team. The Pacers have looked stagnant on offense under former coach Nate McMillan but newly hired head coach Nate Bjorkgren promises lots of movement on both offense and defense.

It should be refreshing to see the Pacers in a more modern offensive scheme. One Indiana Pacer, in particular, I’m excited to see in the new system is Myles Turner. Turner seemed to be underutilized in the system from last season. Kevin Pritchard said in his conference today that Myles has the green light to shoot from deep this season. I would like to see more of Myles from deep and not just stuck in the corner.

Barring any major injuries, I fully expect the Pacers to be a top 5 or 6 team in the East, even with the added competition. The biggest question is can the Pacers get over the hump and actually get out of the first round.

I think if fully healthy, this team could give any of the top teams in the East trouble. In the playoffs it all comes down to matchup and the biggest variable will be who they are matched within the Playoffs. The goal has been set and it’s time for the Pacers to meet those goals.