In less than a week, the Indiana Pacers will play playoff basketball once again as they take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round for the second consecutive year. After making it all the way to the conference finals last year, the Pacers will look to go on another deep playoff run this season.
The Pacers enter the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the East and finished the season as one of the hottest teams in the league. Despite entering the playoffs as one of the top teams in the conference, the Pacers still have some questions that must be answered. Here are four questions Pacers fans want to know the answer to before this year's playoffs.
1. Will Andrew Nembhard's jumpshot come back?
The regular season was a bit of a roller coaster for Andrew Nembhard, who was aiming to follow up on an impressive playoff campaign last year. Ultimately, the Canadian native proved his worth and ended the season as one of the Pacers' most valuable players, especially on the defensive side of the ball. However, the main concern regarding Nembhard is his jumpshot.
Since the All-Star break, Nembhard shot just 26.1% from beyond the arc on 3.1 attempts per game. Furthermore, in his last 10 games, his percentage dipped to 19.4% from behind the line. As the Pacers look to go on another deep playoff run, Nembhard's contributions on both sides of the ball will be essential. However, if he is unable to make his shots fall from the perimeter, things could get ugly for the Pacers.
2. What will Jarace Walker's role in the playoffs look like?
For much of the season, Jarace Walker was out of the Pacers' rotation. However, this started to change towards the end of the season. In his last 16 games, the second-year forward averaged 8.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 17.8 minutes. Additionally, he shot 51.5% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc on 3.5 attempts during that stretch.
Walker picked a great time to heat up. However, now that the postseason is here, it is important to monitor what Walker's playing time will look like and if he will see the court often since the Pacers will trim their rotation to ensure their top guys see the floor as much as possible.
3. Can the Pacers do it again?
The burning question Pacers fans have asked all season is if they can make another conference finals appearance. Despite ultimately getting swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics last year, the Pacers proved they belonged and that their playoff run was not a fluke.
This season, the Pacers are better, but they are still not getting their love from the national media. Now that the beginning of the playoffs is almost here, the Pacers will have an opportunity to go on another deep playoff run when very few expect them to.
4. Is this Myles Turner's final playoff run as a Pacer?
Since he is in the final year of his contract, long-time Pacers big man Myles Turner will hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. So far, reports have indicated that the Pacers want to bring Turner back, but they are not interested in paying the luxury tax, which will make this an incredibly difficult task for the team.
At this point, it is fair to assume that the Texas native will remain with the Pacers past the playoffs, especially if they go on another deep run. However, this is still a crucial storyline to follow since Turner's days as a Pacer could be coming to an end.