The Indiana Pacers are not the favorites in the East. They likely aren't even in the top two. Behind the now Lebron-led Philadelphia 76ers and the reigning champion New York Knicks, Indiana has neither a talent nor a championship DNA edge over their competition in a conference that was wide open the last time they made the playoffs.
However, within that pessimistic sentiment is an optimistic finding: if the Sixers and Knicks are so good, then shouldn't the Pacers' positive matchups against those teams mean they should also be considered in that top conversation?
Better yet, doesn't that just mean that the Pacers already have the formula to beat opponents that have struggled to beat them before?
That's a heck of a competitive advantage.
Instead of seeing being out-talented as a problem, it's probably worth exploring that the Pacers are a) a better-fitting roster than their contemporaries and b) that NBA history is full of talented teams that crashed and burned when everyone thought they would cruise to title.
These Sixers are by no means the Charles Barkley - Scottie Pippen Houston Rockets or Dwight Howard - Steve Nash LA Lakers, but they will likely need more time to get things together.
The Knicks, who were once able to handle Indiana's blend of size and speed, just lost Mitchell Robinson. With less size down low, pushing Towns back into his less-than-ideal center minutes, Indiana could take advantage of the factors outside the guard matchup/.
If that comes to pass, the playoffs won't be as scary as they may seem.
Indiana will likely be worse in the regular season, but set to take over come June.
Pacers have history against the Knicks and continuity against the Sixers
Indiana is 8-5 in the playoffs against the Knicks since the Haliburton and Brunson eras started. While the Knicks took their final great step last year and the Pacers fell woefully behind as a 19-win apocalyptic gap year, there shouldn't be too much difference when the too match up again.
That rivalry is one of history. Brunson and Haliburton have been compared over the past few years, leading their teams to Finals berths and inciting drama with each other at a WWE event. OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam spent years together on the Toronto Raptors, winning a title in 2019.
Even down the roster, Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre Jr. both join their respective teams as castoffs from the Sixers bench unit.
For the Sixers, the stories are less compelling, instead leaning on the side of head-to-head comparisons. Haliburton and Tyrese Maxey are two of the three best point guards to come out of a star-studded 2020 draft, going 12th and 21st, respectively. Beyond that, the stories are hard to find.
However, the questions of how Jaylen Brown matches up with Aaron Nesmith, or of LeBron James battling Siakam, or even of Ivica Zubac hoping to stifle the once-MVP Joel Embiid who seems to have taken a step back.
Basketball is fun, but it's even more fun when your team has a fighting chance.
The Pacers have more than just a chance; they may just have the answers entirely.
Add us as a preferred source on Google