Indiana Pacers basketball is officially back. After eight days of rest and All-Star fun, the Pacers returned to the hardwood on Thursday against the Detroit Pistons to start the second half of the season.
While the Pacers still have a ways to go before the playoffs, a lot can be said of how well this team has performed so far compared to expectations and what their role was to start the season. This Pacers team has seemed to be a whirlwind of emotions so far, from the soaring heights of a 4-1 season series against the Milwaukee Bucks to the lows of a 2-2 series tie with the lowly Charlotte Hornets.
With the Pacers having played their first game in eight days on Thursday against the Detroit Pistons, now is a good time to judge the Pacers' season so far and see how each player is doing, along with the coach, Rick Carlisle.
These players will be judged based on expectations before the season, where those expectations went, their role on the team, and what their current play means for their and the team's future.
Of course, only current Pacers will be evaluated, and they must have played significant minutes this season, with the exception of Jarace Walker (sorry, Doug McDermott). That leaves us with 12 players and one coach to grade, so without further ado, let's get to the players!
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