After their Eastern Conference Finals run last season, their first since 2014, the Indiana Pacers had very high expectations coming into this season. A full year with Pascal Siakam, the growth of Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard, and the return of Bennedict Mathurin gave Pacers fans reasons to have hope that the team can establish themselves as legitimate title contenders. So far, they have not done that.
Through 11 games, the Pacers are 5-6. After winning their first game against the Detroit Pistons, the Pacers have yet to get a record above .500 again. There are a few reasons for Indiana's slow start. The biggest is their multitude of injuries. Backup centers James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson each suffered brutal Achilles injuries, likely ending their seasons. Additionally, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith are both sidelined due to a knee and ankle injury, respectively.
Furthermore, the Pacers are simply not playing great basketball. The Pacers have rarely looked like the same league-leading offense from last season. They are averaging just 113.8 points per game and have a 113.3 ORTG (both of these numbers are 14th-best in the NBA). The Pacers are also not playing with the pace they are known for, and they remain a below-average defensive and rebounding team.
Still, not all is bad for the Pacers. There are plenty of positives from Indiana roughly a month into the season. Despite their losing record, the Pacers would be a playoff team in the East if the season ended today. While it looks bleak now, there are some reasons for Pacers fans to have genuine hope for the rest of the year.
Pacers have not lived up to expectations, but not all is bad
The Pacers being the No. 5 seed in the East at this point in the season is not a major concern for fans. However, how they have gotten here is a different story. Nearly everybody on the team has been inconsistent all season, and it is reflected in the standings and the box scores. Regardless, the team has plenty of time to turn things around and look like the team from last season again.
Most notably, the emergence of Bennedict Mathurin has been a joy to watch. The third-year wing has started each of Indiana's last six games. Despite entering the year as a bit of a question mark due to his injury last season and unknown long-term role with the team, Mathurin has played great for the Pacers. Across his starts, he is averaging 23 points on 52.3% shooting (including 52% from beyond the arc), 8.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
There have been a few times this season where Mathurin has looked like the best player on the court for either team. Even once Nembhard and Nesmith return from their injuries, the Canadian native should have a lot of opportunities to shine for the Pacers.
Another positive to the Pacers' young season is the stardom of Siakam. Given Haliburton's inconsitencies, Siakam has been the best player on the Pacers so far. He is averaging 20.5 points per game while shooting 55.7% from the field and 47.2% from the three-point line. Siakam is making his presence felt everywhere on the court, and he has constantly shown up when nobody else on the team has.
There are also a lot of other players, such as Johnny Furphy, Ben Sheppard, Enrique Freeman, and Jarace Walker, who have shown flashes in the opportunities they have gotten. It is tough for Indiana right now, but they still have months of basketball left to right the ship.