What could possibly go wrong for the Indiana Pacers next season?
After taking a look at the best possible outcome for the Indiana Pacers during the 2021-22 NBA season, it is only fair that we look at the other end of the spectrum. After missing the playoffs a season ago and struggling to find any sort of rhythm with a new head coach, are they in for more of the same this time around?
Rick Carlisle has been appointed as the next head coach who can turn things around in Indiana after they have struggled to get beyond the first round of the playoffs in recent memory. His job may not be as easy as some fans are making it out to be in his return to the Indiana Pacers.
Many of the factors that hindered Indiana’s performance last year are very likely to return this season. Injuries, a lack of chemistry, and a deep Eastern Conference will not make things easy on the Pacers.
Too many things are in Indiana’s way right now. The schedule has been announced and a tough stretch to start the 2022 portion of the campaign – as well as a brutal final five games – will test Indiana’s resilience. There is certainly no reason to believe that they will improve enough to quiet the doubters.
The Indiana Pacers are not guaranteed to bounce back
In a tough Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers will have to grind out a lot of difficult wins if they want to return to the playoffs. They nearly reached the postseason in 2021 after qualifying for a spot in the Play-In tournament, which is making its return this season.
Indiana’s ninth-place finish last season was quite underwhelming after some of their preseason expectations but injuries and a poor head coaching debut set them in the wrong direction. When things got tough, the Pacers folded and let their opponents have their ways. With no big moves yet to happen this summer, that is very much in play once again this season.
Continuing to run a two-big lineup while also adjusting to their third head coach in as many years is not going to be easy for the Pacers. Rick Carlisle is a proven leader but there is no guarantee that he can turn things around given the current roster. With so many key players having a history of injuries, Indiana may never get the consistent production they hope for.
Because of those ailments that always seem to linger in the background, we should not get too excited about the immediate future of the Indiana Pacers. If Brogdon, Warren, Sabonis, or Turner continue to wear down throughout the season, the ceiling of this team becomes a lot shorter.
As much as I love Indiana, they do not have the star power to compete with the best of the East and that could leave them out of the mix by the time the season winds down. A tough January slate will derail the squad and leave them scrapping for a final playoff spot that they ultimately will not acquire.
Worst case scenario: The Indiana Pacers finish the season with a record of 38-44 and miss the playoffs while also not securing a high lottery selection.
The Indiana Pacers could be in for a dreadful summer again
Having a down season and missing out on high odds in the NBA Draft Lottery would be quite the bummer for Indiana. While the 2022 NBA Draft is months away and we should not get too invested yet, it would be disappointing to see Indiana pick in the middle of the first round once again.
The worst possible outcome in the lottery would be the Pacers falling out of the top-10 yet again but that will be a concern for another time. For now, let’s look at how a bad season could affect the current roster.
Missing the playoffs would almost certainly mean one of two things: either T.J. Warren got hurt again or he did not return to his old self. Given that he is in the final year of his contract, a bad season from him or Indiana would likely urge him to get out of Indiana and seek a big contract elsewhere.
It also means the end of the never-profitable two-center lineup which we have been hoping to move away from for years. Either Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis has to be traded after next season if it proves to once again be a bad idea.
With two straight playoff absences under their belt, the Indiana Pacers may as well decide to tear things apart once and for all. Malcolm Brogdon, Caris Levert, T.J. Warren, and both centers could all be available for other teams via trade as the Pacers start their rebuild.
Will they actually get better one of these years or will the Pacers be stuck in mediocrity for eternity?