As expected, betting on the Indiana Pacers to catch lightning in a bottle this early in a rebuilding season is a gamble waiting to disappoint its bettor. Touting a 1-4 record through their first five games, the team has definitely struggled to keep up with the association’s more robust pool of competitive, win-now clubs.
However, that does not mean that the Pacers have disappointed in all nooks and crannies of the game. In fact, relatively speaking, one can argue that the team is off to a positive start considering its current direction as a franchise. Nevertheless, here are three bold takeaways from Indiana’s first five games of the current campaign.
1. The Indiana Pacers have the best future backcourt in the East
Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin’s superb start to the season is definitely the one at the crux of any Pacers-related green flag so far. Their backcourt pairing, one that should prove to be more lethal with every passing day, could easily be the one that takes Indiana from the cellar into the winning circle eventually.
The Pacers’ losses may hurt his case, but Haliburton has been playing at an All-Star level so far, registering 22.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. The lanky playmaker is one of only two players logging a point-assist double-double this season.
Meanwhile, Mathurin has been making a lot of noise in the Rookie of the Year ladder. Despite not starting a single game and playing less minutes than most of his competitors for the plum, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft has averaged 20.8 points, five rebounds, and 2.4 assists in just 27.6 minutes per game.
While the norm says that one should expect these numbers to regress to the mean, the “mean” for these two may already be their current statistical vestiges. Sure, Indiana may not rack up a lot of wins this season, but the team will definitely banner one of, if not the best backcourt in the East in the near future.