The Pacers are coming into one of the most exciting seasons they have had in recent memory. The team is on the upswing and is likely going to be competitive for a playoff spot for the first time in years. They have a young superstar that is currently playing for Team USA and a handful of young talented players that have the entire state of Indiana energized for NBA basketball again.
Because of this, we felt that it was important to list the top five reason we believe the Pacers are going to dramatically improve in the 2023-2024 season.
5. They are entering the year with a clear identity
One common issue in recent years is trying to identify what the actual identity of the Indiana Pacers team is from year to year. In the PG/David West/Roy Hibbert era we hung our hat on defense for example. But in recent years what was the actual identity and playstyle of the Indiana Pacers?
We know know that the Pacers are going to play a fast-paced game full of multiple possessions. And because of this it has allowed them to add players like Obi Toppin and Bruce Brown that fit that style well. Because of this, the Pacers from day one will be playing with the goal in mind.
4. They improved across the board on defense
The Pacers in recent years have struggled on defense finishing near the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency. Because of this, even with all of the talent on the offensive side of the ball they frankly couldn’t stop the other team reliably enough to consistently win games. The Pacers solved that resoundingly over the summer.
Through the draft, they added Jarace Walker. If you watched any of the summer league action you saw instantly that Walker will immediately improve the Pacers defense as he quickly showed why scouts were so high on his defensive abilities. Additionally, the Pacers payed big money to add Bruce Brown of the Nuggets, another player that is able to play high level defense at nearly four of the five positions on the court.
This means that the Pacers could potentially play a high-level defensive player at every position on the court: Andrew Nembhard, Bruce Brown Jr., Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, and Myles Turner.
3. They have championship experience on the team
Another big upgrade on the team is the presence of championship experience. While the Pacers are exciting to watch because they are young, this also leaves them with less playoff and championship level experience compared to most teams in the league. Many of the veterans on the team such as Myles Turner and Buddy Hield have limited experience in the playoffs.
But in comes Bruce Brown, who is coming off of a season in which he went through the entire process and ended up winning a championship with the Denver Nuggets. Don’t underestimate how important that can be for a team, to have a player that can say they have been there before and know how to navigate the playoffs. Bruce Brown will be a huge addition for the Indiana Pacers.
2. The young players are another year older
While having a young team is super exciting to watch, their inexperience often can get the best of them. One of the reasons the Pacers are going to be much improved this year is that many of their players are so young. That means that they have so much room to improve as many have not hit their primes yet.
Players like Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard are so far away from their ceilings, they are nearly certain to come into camp with new skills and abilities that they didn’t have previously. One example would be if Mathurin comes into the season with some a few passing skills he didn’t have previously. That has the opportunity to exponentially increase his impact on offense. And given the number of young talents the Pacers have, we are going to see growth in so many places we never expected it.
1. They finally have power forwards
And finally, the biggest upgrade the Pacers have across the roster is that they have added power forward depth to a roster that desperately needed it. It had been years since the Pacers had a true power forward on the roster, and this summer, they added two in Jarace Walker and Obi Toppin.
Every year it seemed that big power forwards would tear the Pacers up because we were either using a big that was too slow or a small forward that was too small. In either case the Pacers would get absolutely torched at the four spot.
The Pacers will finally be able to compete with teams across the league with players that are playing their natural position across the roster. Because of this, expect the Pacers to naturally make a big jump this year as compared to last season.
What do you think? Do you think the Pacers will make a big jump this season? Let us know at @8pts9secs.
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