Introducing your 2023 Indiana Pacers: Post-trade deadline

It’s officially the most wonderful time of the year.

If you listen carefully enough, you can hear – absolutely nothing.

No exploding Woj bombs.

No trade “rumors” with a lower statistical probability of happening than me suiting up for the Pacers.

No Tibetan monks chanting “Russell Westbrook and a 2027 first…” into the abyss.

The focus is back where it should be – on the court. And my team is on the floor.

Is this roster perfect? Eh, probably not. But, Superman was perfect (Kryptonite is a total farce) and those movies were terrible.

As the post-trade deadline dust settles, we received both clarity and additional questions.

What we know about this Pacers team

• George Hill is coming home.
• A regulation NBA basketball game is still 48 minutes. And we have added two players who will presumably receive some of those minutes.
• We (still) have one of the most promising young backcourts in the NBA.
• The Center position is in good hands for at least the next two years (please, God, let the trade rumors die).

What we don’t know about this Pacers team

• What Hill’s role will be on this team.
• How those aforementioned 48 minutes will be distributed between Haliburton, Hield, Mathurin, Nembhard, Turner, Nesmith, McConnell, Duarte, Jackson, Smith, Brissett, Hill, Nwora, and Theis.
• If this team is play-in or lottery-bound.
• If future generations will write sonnets about the Serge Ibaka era in Indy.

We also know this team has brought us immense joy this season and has far exceeded anyone’s  expectations. It looks like they are having fun, and in turn, it is fun to watch them.

If you’re rooting for losses in order to add to the excitement of watching ping pong balls bounce around, you can stop reading here (if you’re rooting for wins, you are awarded one more sentence).

Go Pacers.