The Indiana Pacers have a foundational backcourt

I’ve gotta be honest; it’s been a fun ride. The Indiana Pacers have been much better than anticipated and currently sit fourth in the East. That is not something I saw coming when the season started. To be honest, I thought they’d be one of the worst teams in the league.

I recently wrote that I thought the Pacers were playing too well for their own good. Victor Wenabenyama is an incredible prize for whoever gets the number one pick in the draft. Looking at this roster, I didn’t think they could make any noise in the playoffs.

After the Pacers beat the Lakers on a buzzer-beater three last night, I think my opinion has changed. Even if you trade Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, I think this team is too good to tank. That’s mainly because of how good Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin are.

The Indiana Pacers have one of the best backcourt combinations in the league.

Haliburton has been absolutely on fire. He is the first player in NBA history to have 40+ assists and zero turnovers in a three-game span. When the point guard of the team is playing that well, anything is possible. He is the cornerstone guy of this franchise.

Mathurin has been ridiculous as a rookie. He is scoring 19 points per game and is shooting 42% from the field. More than that, he is fearless. He gets to the free-throw line at will. He might be the second-best rookie in this class. Heck, he might end up winning Rookie of the Year.

These two guys alone are too good for this team to be bad enough to get the first pick. Add Turner and Hield into the fray and this team actually has a shot to make some noise in the playoffs. Now it still is very early. The Pacers have played a very soft schedule so far and it’s about to stiffen up.

That harder schedule will tell us whether this team is actually for real or if it’s fool’s gold. But right now, it’s a lot of fun to watch.