Not much can be said about the Indiana Pacers' underwhelming 2024-25 NBA season that has not already been said.
After making it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, many expected the Pacers to take that next step and inch closer to legitimate title contention. They brought back essentially the same roster from last season and made some minor additions that provided some excitement to Indiana (James Wiseman and Johnny Furphy, most notably). However, things have not gone well for the Pacers.
Over a month into the season, the Pacers are 9-14 and currently own the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference. Furthermore, their league-leading offense from last season is down to 14th in the league this season, averaging 113.4 points per game. Additionally, they have just the 18th-best ORTG in the NBA and remain a bottom defensive team in the league.
There is no denying that injuries have played a big part in the Pacers' struggles. Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson, the team's only backup centers to begin the season, each suffered Achilles injuries. Furthermore, Andrew Nembhard missed a month of play due to a knee injury, and Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard are both currently sidelined with no concrete timetable for their returns.
However, in addition to the injuries, the Pacers simply do not look like a good team. Championship aspirations were real in Indiana to begin the season. Now? The team seems primed for a Play-In spot at best.
The Pacers' 2024-25 NBA season just keeps getting worse
Last night, the Pacers lost to the Brooklyn Nets, who were without star Cam Thomas, by a score of 99-90. This loss marked the Pacers' fourth straight, their longest of the season. Additionally, the Pacers have now already had three separate instances where they have had a losing streak of three games or more.
Furthermore, the Pacers, who advanced to the final round of last season's NBA Cup (then called the In-Season Tournament), went 0-4 during the tournament this season and failed to advance past the first round.
The Pacers are not playing with the same pace or efficiency that made them such a fun team to watch last season. Additionally, despite head coach Rick Carlisle saying the team worked on their defense ahead of the beginning of the season, the Pacers have not improved in this area. The team is also playing very sloppy basketball, averaging 14.3 turnovers per game.
There is still time for the Pacers to right the ship, but the clock is ticking. They have struggled against teams they easily should beat, and they are not playing their brand of basketball. If the Pacers do not find their rhythm soon, they are in danger of missing the postseason altogether.