Indiana Pacers: Power ranking the Central Division as free agency winds down

As the 2021 NBA Free Agency veers away from its climactic beginning, the state of the affairs in the league has changed a bit with the loads of player movement that occurred. While the Indiana Pacers look mostly the same, the team was a tad more active than last year, re-upping TJ McConnell and snagging Torrey Craig while losing Doug McDermott.

Whether that will suffice to climb in the much-fortified Eastern Conference, however, remains to be seen. Still, the Blue and Gold should be a dangerous wildcard next season, especially if new and decorated head coach Rick Carlisle has a full set of healthy players to deploy in his esteemed and battle-tested system.

How do the Indiana Pacers stack up in the Central Division?

Aside from the East as a whole, the Central Division has also been one of the most improved groups in the association. The defending champs Milwaukee Bucks obviously lead the pack, but rebuilding teams like the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers managed to acquire franchise cornerstones in the 2021 NBA Draft while the Chicago Bulls made waves in free agency as well to augment their up-and-coming cast.

Among the group, the Indiana Pacers swung the least in free agency. While moves may still be on the horizon, what they currently have in store should be more than enough to qualify for the playoffs after a one season absence. Ultimately, how does the team stack up in the Central Division?