To claim that a team is “tanking” is a serious accusation.
To tank, I believe, is one of the worst things a team can do – it removes the competitive nature and entertainment factor from every game the team participates in. Now that the Pacers hold a dismal 1-6 record to start the season, many have begun to accuse the team of tanking, which simply isn't true.
The narrative of a “gap year” began to be thrown around immediately after Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, but the team’s brass has continually pushed back on that sentiment (h/t Forbes' Tony East). Now that the season has begun and the Pacers are losing games left and right, many have moved from “gap year” to tanking – but they are missing something extremely important.
The Pacers are fighting extreme adversity
The piece of this narrative that is too often ignored is that the team is fighting supreme adversity with injuries. The injury bug is so bad that there are more players on the injury report (8) than games the team has played (7). These eight players are not just two-way contracts or depth pieces. Five of the team’s top seven players are unavailable, with key depth pieces suffering as well.
Including Haliburton, the injury report includes seven guards (*check notes* yes, that’s right, seven guards). I don’t care what team you are talking about; it is absurdly difficult to win with eight players sidelined and the guard depth actually depleted.
If the Pacers were to play tonight, according to their depth chart, the starting point guard would be RayJ Dennis. This is not currently a winning formula. And this is not hate on Dennis; he is a second-year player who averaged 6.4 minutes in 11 games last season and averages 8.2 PPG this season. He is fresh, learning on the fly, and developing.
The same can be said for many of the players who hit the court wearing a Pacers uniform right now.
Fans must change the expectation
There were realistic, though lofty, expectations by Indiana coming into the season. This included being competitive, making the playoffs, and making some noise in May (which honestly, these goals could still be reached. It’s only been 7 games, people.). But the expectation for this squad should shift from winning to competition and entertainment.
While it doesn’t show in the win column, the double-overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on opening night was wildly entertaining. The last-second thriller against the Milwaukee Bucks, where Myles Turner accepted his new role as the villain, was entertaining.
This season isn’t over, but even still, there is currently no tanking involved. The Pacers are competing and doing their best, and I want to applaud them for it.