The Indiana Pacers are going through some hard times right now, despite being the reigning Eastern Conference champions. They began the regular season 1-6 and look like a shell of their past selves. This is almost entirely because of their injuries, which have caused players like Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin (among others) to stay on the sidelines, but it's still not a positive sight for Pacers fans to see.
It remains to be seen when it will happen, but better days are ahead in Indiana, and Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter may have just reminded them of that.
Recently, Hunter sent a message about the Pacers that should give them peace of mind as they navigate through this dark period (h/t Jamal Collier of ESPN).
"It was more mental than anything," Hunter told ESPN. "Game 1, that's the game we're supposed to win. We win that game and the series is completely different. We just kind of were mentally weak, at times, and [the Pacers] were mentally stronger."
Indiana has built a habit out of exceeding expectations, and this was never more noticeable than last season. The Pacers started the campaign 10-15 and were quickly counted out. However, they turned it around in a major way once the calendar turned, and it led to them making it to the NBA Finals for the first time in over two decades.
The reason for that? Their mental toughness and resilience.
The Pacers must keep their identity to re-enter the title picture
Indiana has a ton of talent, and that remains true even with Myles Turner's offseason departure. The team is consisted of young and hungry players who haven't even hit their peak yet, as well as some solid veterans who make a nightly impact (i.e. Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell).
Once they get healthy again, the Pacers will remind the world exactly why they shouldn't be counted out going forward. However, perhaps above all else, it is their mental toughness that sets them apart.
No deficit is too big for the Pacers, and no task is too challenging for them to accomplish.
The Pacers were doubted each step of the way last season, including during every single playoff series. This was obvious during their second-round matchup against the Cavaliers, who were the No. 1 seed in the East heading into the playoffs.
It also especially includes the NBA Finals, when the consensus was they wouldn't be a legitimate threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder and their historic defense. However, Indiana ultimately took it to seven games and maybe could've won it all had it not been for Haliburton's devastating Achilles injury.
They may not have hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June, but the Pacers still learned a valuable lesson last season: their mental toughness makes them great.
In October, head coach Rick Carlisle said that Indiana's willingness to do what other teams aren't is what separates them. This is absolutely related to its on-court strategy, but it all stems from the team's mindset, which has proven to be a winning one already.
"I don't know the exact number, we were in the mid-900s last year...we had three guys picking up full-court in the backcourt, and this is regular season, I believe, and playoffs. And the next closest team was somewhere in the 400s. The separator for us is what we were willing to do that a lot of other teams were unwilling to do," Carlisle said.
The Pacers are going through it right now, but there are reasons to believe that they'll be young. They're young, talented, and well-coached. But perhaps most importantly, like Hunter said, they're mentally tough.
Mental toughness will never be the only reason a team is successful, but it certainly helps. And in Indiana's case, it's worked before, and it should absolutely work again sooner rather than later.