Indiana Pacers: Predicting the Pacers draft positioning for 2022

The Indiana Pacers are at the end of their worst season in recent history. Indiana has 12 games remaining and with a current record of 23-47, the team is ready to get those 12 over with.

The Indiana Pacers have six home games, and six road games left to determine where they’ll end up in the final NBA standings. Then, on Tuesday, May 17 we find out exactly what pick the Pacers receive.

The Pacers’ upcoming schedule has some tougher games than others.

They play @Houston, vs. Portland, vs. Sacramento, @Memphis, @Toronto, vs. Atlanta, vs. Denver, @Boston, vs. Detroit, vs. Philadelphia, @Philadelphia, @Brooklyn, contributor Alex Golden points out.

The Pacers currently have the fifth-best odds at the No. 1 overall pick this year. The teams ahead of them in the standings include Oklahoma City, Detroit, Orlando, and Houston in that order. While you can’t truly predict how the lottery will go, this is my best guess in how it will play out.

My prediction of how the rest of the season will go for the Pacers

Indiana plays both Houston and Detroit once more this season, so while they want to lose, they really want to lose those two games.

The Pacers beat the Rockets this season, with a much different roster. However, they played without Sabonis in that game some months ago, so it won’t be all that different this next go around.

Indiana is 1-2 against the Pistons this season, yes 1-2 against the 3rd worst team in basketball. If healthier, I think the Pacers can win this matchup but nothing is a given for this team.

They face Portland, Memphis again, Toronto, and Atlanta which I don’t notch the Pacers as winning. Atlanta needs every win they can get, trying to get into the play-in game. Portland has a much lower chance at it, as they may shift to tank mode. Those two teams sit at 11th and 10th in their respective conferences.

Toronto has been a problem for the Pacers all season long, they are 1-2 against them as well. The Raptors are on a four-game win streak right now and are 7th in the east behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. They will beat the Pacers.

The Pacers end their season with Denver, Philadelphia twice, and Brooklyn. The Pacers may be able to win one of these games if the teams are resting starters, but even then it could be a struggle.

Indiana just lost to the second seed Memphis Grizzlies by over 30 points, without All-Star Ja Morant.

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I have the Indiana Pacers going 4-8 over this 12 game span, putting them with a final record of 27-55 for the 2021-22 NBA season. Those four wins are against the Rockets, Kings, Pistons, and one of 76’ers or Brooklyn since it will be their end-of-season lineups.

Last season’s 27 win team was the Toronto Raptors (with 10 fewer games) who ended up with the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft. I don’t expect luck to go Indiana’s way, as when does it ever? Expect the Pacers to land at pick 5-7 in this year’s draft.

CBS Sports’ latest Mock Draft has AJ Griffin going 5th overall. I think for most Indiana fans, being in a position to land Jaden Ivey from Purdue would be the Ideal scenario.

With the Cavaliers sitting at the 6th seed in the east, the Pacers’ second first-round pick that they received from Cleveland would be the 17th pick if the season ended right now. If Cleveland can’t get back to health in these last few weeks, I think that pick has a good shot at staying in the teens.