Many expect the Indiana Pacers to be among the best teams in the Eastern Conference next season. They will have Tyrese Haliburton back, Ivica Zubac ready to roll, and potentially a top-four pick in this year's draft, less than a year after making it to the NBA Finals.
But Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce doesn't seem to agree, even going as far as to say the Washington Wizards will be better next season (h/t the "No Fouls Given" Podcast).
"I do," Pierce said about whether he thinks the Wizards will be better than the Pacers next season. "I think [Anthony Davis] is better than anybody on the Pacers. ... And I think Trae Young is just as good as [Tyrese] Haliburton. ... He's better statistically than him. ... He took Atlanta to the conference finals."
The Wizards will not be better than the Pacers next season
To be fair to Pierce, Washington does have a solid outlook for next season. They acquired Trae Young earlier in the season (and he is expected to make his debut for the team on Thursday). They traded for Anthony Davis at the deadline. They may also end up with a high pick in this year's draft. And they have some promising players, such as Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George.
The Wizards may be a playoff team next year, especially if Davis and Young can stay healthy. But will they be better than the Pacers? Unlikely.
Pierce is doing one of two things here. Either he's just showing some love to his former team (remember, he did spend a season in Washington and made the playoffs with them in 2014-15), or he's forgetting how good the Pacers are. And I would be willing to guess that it's the latter.
Obviously, this isn't the case this season. But this Pacers team is incredibly talented and has a bright future. They made it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals less than a year ago, and they might have an even better team next season. Plus, outside of maybe the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics, there isn't any team in this wide-open Eastern Conference that should scare them.
Indiana will have a legitimate chance at making another deep playoff run in 2027, potentially even making it right back to the NBA Finals. Whether it will happen or not is a different story, and only time will tell. But this Pacers team has already proven they're a special unit, and that shouldn't change next year.
There will be a lot of team's in Indiana's way, but the Wizards? Doubtful.