The Indiana Pacers started 2025 on fire, going 12-2 through February 3. However, the Pacers have come back down to earth, having lost three of their last four games.
On its own, this is not a major deal. The Pacers lost to the Portland Trail Blazers on the second night of a back-to-back on the road, the Los Angeles Lakers (also on the road), and the No. 3 New York Knicks. However, the Pacers are leaving a lot to be desired on the court and look sloppy and tired. It also does not help that Myles Turner has been out the past few games due to a head/neck injury.
Fortunately for the Pacers, they have just one game remaining against the 9-44 Washington Wizards on Wednesday night before the All-Star break, which could not have come at a better time for the team.
Pacers will benefit from the All-Star break
The Pacers will only have one representative at All-Star Weekend this season--Pascal Siakam, who earned his first All-Star nod as a member of the team. Every other player, at the very least, will have a chance to rest and get back on track for the next half of the season.
Recently, head coach Rick Carlisle spoke about the Pacers constantly dealing with slow starts to games, which was a big problem on their recent road trip. This is mostly due to fatigue and overall sloppy play by the Pacers. While we know that the Pacers are capable of fixing their problems during the season, it is still a concerning development for the team.
Furthermore, the Pacers have gotten uninspiring play from some of their top players. Tyrese Haliburton has scored fewer than 20 points in six consecutive games (including a zero-point performance against the Trail Blazers). Additionally, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard have been very inefficient recently.
There is a lot of basketball remaining this season, and it is certainly way too soon to panic about the Pacers. Despite being in a bit of a slump, they are still a top team in the East and will most likely make the playoffs barring a collapse later in the season. However, there is also no denying that they are not playing great basketball right now.
The Pacers have one more opportunity to end things on a high note against the Wizards before the All-Star break. However, regardless of what happens, they will benefit greatly from the break.