Even after making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, the Indiana Pacers were constantly overlooked in the media. Entering the season, nobody predicted that the Pacers would be a top team in the East. This was especially true early on in the season when the Pacers struggled and eventually had a 10-15 record in December. However, even after turning it around, the Pacers still get no recognition.
The Pacers remain one of the top offenses in the NBA, and their defense has improved from last year and earlier this season. Currently, they are 38-29 and now own a 0.5-game lead above the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. They are better than they were last year, but the Pacers are still slept on.
Recently, the Pacers earned a distinction that could bode well for their campaign as the start of the playoffs approaches.
Pacers named biggest title contender who deserves more recognition
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Dan Favale listed five title contenders in the NBA who deserved more recognition. Not only did the Pacers top his list, but they were also the only Eastern Conference team he mentioned.
Favale noted that the Pacers have the third-best record in the East against conference opponents who have a .500 record or better. The Pacers are 16-13 against such teams, and only the Cleveland Cavaliers (23-7) and Boston Celtics (21-12) have better records. Additionally, they are the only three Eastern Conference teams with a winning record in these games.
The Pacers have some flaws, and it is fair to put them a tier or two below the top contenders in the NBA. Furthermore, they do deserve more recognition than they have gotten. However, this also could bode well for them once the playoffs come around.
As they made clear last year, Indiana thrives when they are the underdogs. Even after Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury late in the season, many still doubted the Pacers' ability to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of last year's playoffs. They also had just as many doubters against the New York Knicks in the second round, but they won that series as well.
Indiana is built to rise to the occasion and overcome the odds. This was evident last year, and they will have another chance to prove it this year. It remains to be seen exactly how far the Pacers can go this time around, but if they even slightly replicate last year's success, fans and media alike will have no choice but to give them their flowers.