On Saturday afternoon, the Indiana Pacers will kick off what they and the fans hope will be another deep playoff run. Last year, the Pacers made it to the conference finals despite entering the postseason as the No. 6 seed. However, though this was their deepest playoff run in a decade, the team has made it clear that they are not satisfied and have their eyes set on bringing an NBA Championship to Indiana.
Just like last year, the Pacers will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. The Pacers eliminated the Bucks in six games in 2024 and will look to send them home early once again this season.
After the impressive campaign the team put together, Pacers fans should have high hopes and feel good about their odds of going on another deep playoff run. However, regardless of what happens, Pacers fans should be excited about the team's future because it is the brightest it has looked in a very long time.
The Pacers have a bright future ahead of them
One of the main talking points about the Pacers' roster heading into the year is that they had such a good run last year despite being such a young team. Entering the season, the Pacers had just three players who were 30 years old or older (though this does include James Johnson, who has appeared in just 39 games during his three-year Pacers career). Still, they succeeded because of their talent, playstyle, and chemistry.
Additionally, the Pacers have most of their core players locked up for the future. Outside of Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin, the Pacers have all their major rotation players under contract through next season. And as it stands, it is fair to assume the Pacers will prioritize signing Turner and Mathurin to new contracts this summer.
The Pacers are already a fun team to watch with an electric playstyle. They play with great energy and tempo on offense, and they have improved drastically on defense. Furthermore, the Pacers are one of the most resilient teams in the NBA and succeed under great coaching.
Regardless of what happens this year, Pacers fans should be excited, knowing that the team should be a regular playoff contender for the foreseeable future. They found a core that works, yet most of the team has yet to reach their prime. The Pacers will be a team to monitor for the long run, especially as they grow and develop into a stronger unit together. Indiana could go on another deep playoff run this year, but even if they do not, they have given fans reason to believe they will be in the championship hunt for years to come.