Let’s face it, the Indiana Pacers do not deserve any respect

Heading into the 2021-22 NBA season, the Indiana Pacers have commonly been left out of the “contender” groupings despite a lot of optimism this summer. New head coach Rick Carlisle has a championship pedigree and is taking over a team with a clear-cut starting lineup that has zero holes to fill.

Even with a strong offseason under their belt, it appears the Pacers have not done enough to earn the respect of national media. However, as unfortunate and frustrating as that is for fans, it is the correct takeaway at this point in the offseason. The Pacers do not deserve any significant respect or attention as things stand.

No, the Indiana Pacers do not deserve much respect

There is a lot to like about the Indiana Pacers heading into the new season. Two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis is still set to make a bargain of a salary for Indiana while also being the team’s leading rebounder and an efficient offensive player. Even though there will be others who carry more of the scoring load, Sabonis will be a vital piece to the offense.

T.J. Warren and Caris LeVert finally get a chance to play together and should bring a nasty scoring habit that Indiana needs. Pairing them with Malcolm Brogdon will distribute the ball-handling duties while giving the Pacers enough shooting ability to be scary.

Even when we factor in the return of Myles Turner to the defensive end, there is just not enough to make the Pacers a serious threat in the Eastern Conference. Before we ruffle some feathers, let’s be realistic about their expectations.

As I’m sure many other fans are, I’m disappointed with the lack of success this franchise has had, especially given some of the talent that they have had over the past few years. The roster was pretty deep a season ago but the risk of acquiring players on bargain contracts thanks to injuries has never worked out.

Indiana has found some success early in the season when they are healthy but things always tend to fall apart once the injury bug hits Indianapolis. For those who suggest you cannot predict injuries or make the claim that the Pacers were unlucky with their ailments, I’d like to offer a different take.

Maybe, just maybe, the Pacers could actually predict that sort of result by virtue of how they have built their roster. None of their core players have proven to be healthy enough for a full season throughout their careers and that has constantly derailed Indiana’s seasons.

Big-time injuries to key players have helped keep the Pacers out of contention in the past few years, whether it be Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, or T.J. Warren. Until they decide to spend big money on a superstar – which still isn’t easy considering they would have to want to play here anyway – or invest in players with a healthy background, the Pacers will not be utterly successful.

This is not to bash the front office or make things out to be ugly for the Pacers. They have built a team that will do enough to fight for the playoffs and maybe win a game or two when they get there, but that isn’t going to attract many fans.

There seems to always be a narrative from fans that the Pacers have been disrespected by the media or overlooked by others when in reality, they have done nothing to deserve better. With no playoff series wins to look back on in recent memory and after completely missing the playoffs last season, there is nothing to hang our hats on.

The Indiana Pacers could very well get back into the playoffs this season and who knows, maybe they will even win a series if they get lucky. But they have no reason to be considered one of the league’s top contenders. They simply do not stack up with the rest of the Eastern Conference.