The Indiana Pacers are back from their two-game stint in Paris and remain one of the hottest teams in the league. Indiana split the series 1-1 against the San Antonio Spurs, which included a 38-point victory for them in the second game. A month into 2025, the Pacers are 10-2 on the year and are six games above .500 overall.
Just a week away from the trade deadline, the Pacers are still in their groove and look primed for another deep playoff run. Whether they make a trade ahead of the deadline to bolster their roster for the second half of the season remains to be seen. However, given their performances this year, a trade seems unlikely.
In the last week (most of these power rankings were listed before the Pacers' victory against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday), they only played two games against the Spurs. Because of their 1-1 finish, it makes sense that their placement in these rankings is different for each website.
Here is the roundup of power rankings and where the Pacers stand at the end of January.
The Pacers are a top-12 team in the power rankings
Website | Ranking | Previous ranking |
|---|---|---|
ESPN | 12 | 10 |
NBA | 8 | 8 |
NBC Sports | 12 | 9 |
The Athletic | 9 | 10 |
CBS | 10 | 11 |
In each power ranking, the Pacers earned a different spot in comparison to the previous week. They dropped multiple spots in ESPN's and NBC Sports' power rankings, but they moved up a spot in CBS' and The Athletic's while staying in the same spot in the NBA's. Regardless, the Pacers are at least a top-12 team in each power ranking and a top-10 team in three of them.
The Pacers' elite offense has started to show up again, and the team is significantly better on the defensive end as well. It is fair to say they are still below some of the top teams in the league, such as the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Pacers are right below them and have an opportunity to reach that top tier at some point this season.
Outside of Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman, who each suffered season-ending Achilles injuries, the Pacers have been as healthy as they can be following the return of Aaron Nesmith earlier this month. Because of this, they should be able to continue developing their chemistry.
If the Pacers keep up this level of play, the sky is the limit for them. Whether their momentum can carry over into the playoffs is something the Pacers and their fans hope can happen in order to make their first NBA Finals appearance in over two decades.