The NBA handed down a $100,000 fine to the Indiana Pacers after they rested most of their key players in a game against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 3. And to say many Pacers fans aren't happy about this might just be an understatement.
Indiana has developed a reputation for never tanking. If they were bad, then so be it. But they never ruled star players out for the year due to phantom injuries in the past, and they never really made any questionable late-game decisions to lose a game on purpose.
For the NBA to set an example out of the Pacers (though, to be fair, they did rule pretty much their entire starting lineup in that game) is questionable, considering that other teams have had more egregious tanking attempts (let's not forget about "The Process").
In a recent episode of the "Bill Simmons Podcast," Simmons didn't directly defend the Pacers in these tanking allegations. But he made it pretty clear that he believes they are seriously trying to win games, even if the league doesn't fully see it.
"They've had a ton of injuries. Have you watched them? They still give a [expletive]. They're trying to win some of these games," Simmons said about the Pacers.
The Pacers aren't tanking... they just really are this bad
Coming out of the All-Star break, the Pacers are 15-40, which is the fourth-worst record in the NBA. However, their poor record doesn't automatically mean they're trying to lose these games on purpose.
Obviously, Indiana has been and will continue to be without Tyrese Haliburton this season as he recovers from an Achilles tear. But even beyond that, the team has dealt with a plethora of injuries this season.
Andrew Nembhard, Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith, T.J. McConnell, and Bennedict Mathurin (remember him?) have all missed extended amounts of time this season for the Pacers. Plus, with Myles Turner no longer on the roster, this team is completely different from the one that was just a win away from an NBA title last year.
Additionally, Indiana has struggled greatly on both sides of the ball all season long. This is likely due to a combination of their injuries and everybody on the roster navigating through bigger roles. Either way, it hasn't been too pretty to watch for the most part.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, the Pacers' 109.8 offensive rating ranks last in the NBA, and their 117.1 defensive rating ranks 21st-best.
The future is bright in Indiana, but this season has mostly been a disappointment, even given the circumstances. They have struggled all year, and that's not going to change in the second half of the season, regardless of how the NBA wants to judge it.