In just a week, the yearly five-game slate of NBA Christmas games will be upon us. Many of the league's best and most exciting teams will play on Christmas, including the reigning champion Boston Celtics. For most NBA fans, this is as good of a time as any to watch basketball due to the all-day marathon and highly-anticipated matchups. This may be true for Pacers fans as well, but they have it a bit different than many of the other teams in the league.
The last time the Pacers played on Christmas Day was in 2004--a loss to the Detroit Pistons in an Eastern Conference Finals rematch. In total, the Pacers have played just four times on Christmas Day, going 2-2 in those games. Only the Sacramento Kings (2003) have a longer Christmas Day game drought (this does not include the Charlotte Hornets, who have yet to play on Christmas).
Christmas Day games are typically reserved for the top teams in the league (or at least the most intriguing ones). The Pacers' drought is proof that they are not where they should be and still have a lot of work to do to be considered worthy of a Christmas Day game. Realistically, there are only a couple of things the Pacers can do to end their drought and become a team to watch in the league.
1. Acquire/develop a third star
The Pacers are a good team on paper. Though they are having down years at the moment, there is no denying that Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are the team's two best players with star power. However, if the team wants to truly contend with these two as their top players, the Pacers must acquire a third star.
This is no disrespect to Myles Turner, but at this point in his career, it is safe to say he is not a star and cannot be the third-best player on a championship-contending team. Furthermore, the Pacers have plenty of other talented players, such as Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard, but there is little reason to believe they can develop into a legitimate star next to Haliburton and Siakam.
Of all the other players currently on the Pacers, Bennedict Mathurin has the best chance of becoming that third star for the team. He is still just 22 and is in the midst of a career year. Though he is a bit inconsistent, these growing pains should help him develop into an even better player in the future.
The Pacers could also acquire a third star, though this will be a difficult move to accomplish. Regardless, acquiring a third star would not only make the Pacers must-see TV, but it would also help them inch even closer to legitimate title contention.
2. Revert to their 2023-24 selves
This is a bit of a cop-out, but it is true. If the Pacers can play winning basketball again, the NBA will have no choice but to give them their recognition. The Pacers were not only an Eastern Conference Finals team last season, they were also a top offense in the league. They played with pace and were simply an exciting team to follow (this was especially true during their NBA Cup run). It also helped that their style of play led to wins.
To begin this season, things do not look as good for Indiana. They are 12-15 and own the No. 8 seed in the East. Much of what made them a fun team last season has disappeared this season. Their offense is just average, and they are not playing with the same pace they did last season. There are times when they look like last year's team, but it is not consistent enough for fans to be happy.
We know they are capable of playing fun, winning basketball. If they can get back to that and win so much that they just cannot be ignored, the Pacers will get their respect and be a top team in the league.