Over a quarter into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Indiana Pacers are 10-15 and own the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference. After an Eastern Conference Finals run last season, many expected the Pacers to take a step forward and solidify themselves as potential championship contenders. However, at this point, the team is barely looking like even a Play-In team.
Much of the Pacers' struggles can be attributed to the multitude of injuries they have had to deal with. James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson each suffered season-ending Achilles injuries early in the season. Furthermore, Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard are currently both sidelined due to an ankle and oblique injury, respectively, with no concrete timetable for return. The Pacers also lost Andrew Nembhard for roughly a month due to a knee injury that he recently returned from.
Regardless of the team's injuries, they simply do not look like the same team that was four wins away from an NBA Finals appearance just months ago. The Pacers' offense has taken a drastic step back, and their defense, which already was nothing special to begin with, is leaving a lot to be desired on the court.
Every time Pacers fans think the team hit rock bottom, they find a way to stoop even lower. This was most evident in the team's loss to the Charlotte Hornets, who were in the midst of an eight-game losing streak and were without their top players, including LaMelo Ball. Things already look bad on the surface for the Pacers, but when you dig in a little deeper, things are only looking worse from here on out.
The Pacers have the ninth-toughest remaining schedule
According to Tankathon.com, the Pacers have the ninth-toughest remaining schedule from now until the end of the season. They have yet to play the Cleveland Cavaliers (who currently own the NBA's best record at 21-4). Additionally, they play the Boston Celtics one more time this season (though the Pacers did hand them their first loss of the season back in October).
To make matters worse, the Pacers are the only Eastern Conference team ranked in the top 10 of toughest schedules remaining. The Detroit Pistons (13th overall) and New York Knicks (14th overall) are the only other Eastern Conference teams ranked in the top 15. To say this is a concern for the Pacers is an understatement.
Indiana already had arguably the easiest stretch of their season, but they failed to capitalize. The season is far from over, and we have seen crazier things happen in the NBA. But there is no denying that the Pacers have all odds stacked against them, which could prove to be too challenging as the team fights for another postseason appearance.