3 reasons why the Pacers’ decline could be a blessing in disguise

To say that the Indiana Pacers haven’t looked like themselves in the past month or so is a gross understatement. While their recent ineptitude hasn’t quite caught the attention of fans outside the Circle City yet, the team has tallied a disappointing 3-15 record in their last 18 games.

At this juncture, the Pacers are sitting at 12th place in the Eastern Conference — a massive drop-off from when they are tightly in possession of a secure playoff spot in the postseason picture before Tyrese Haliburton’s injury. Suddenly, expectations for the club have gone from being a surprise playoff wildcard to just another team trekking for a play-in berth.

The Indiana Pacers are in the middle of their worst stretch of the season

Those rooting for Indiana to make a final regular season hurrah to make the postseason may be encouraged by the fact that the team is in possession of the seventh-easiest remaining schedule moving forward, but those not aboard that train may still find some consolation from the club simply playing for development as virtually everyone expected before the campaign began.

The latter category of fans have varying justified reasons for staying optimistic despite the team’s worrying on-court showings. In fact, here are three good reasons why the Pacers’ recent decline could eventually prove to be a blessing in disguise.