The Indiana Pacers have had an impressive year that fans should be happy about. Last season, despite entering the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, the Pacers made it all the way to the conference finals and gave the eventual champion Boston Celtics their toughest challenge of their title run. Furthermore, after a slow start to this season, the Pacers turned things around, won 50 games for the first time in a decade, and secured homecourt advantage.
As they prepare for their first-round playoff matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pacers rank as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and are prepared to go on another deep playoff run. However, despite their overall success, the Pacers have not gotten their well-deserved recognition from the national media. And, according to the latest predictions, this underdog title has carried over into the playoffs.
The Pacers continue to get disrespected ahead of the playoffs
On paper, the Pacers should have a tight series against the Bucks. Milwaukee won the season series 3-1, but the Pacers have an edge after securing homecourt advantage. Furthermore, the Bucks will begin the series without Damian Lillard, making them a bit less of a threat to Indiana. Still, the Bucks are a great team and ended the regular season on a high note, winning each of their last eight games.
Despite the Pacers having homecourt advantage over the Bucks, experts are still not favoring them in the series. This includes former NBA players Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams, who are both confident that the Bucks will eliminate the Pacers in the first round.
"There's no one in the NBA that can guard Giannis, and definitely nobody on the Pacers can guard him." 😤
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 14, 2025
Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams expect the Bucks to win the series vs. the Pacers, even without Damian Lillard @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/HoWgczHdGw
"I favor [the Bucks] over Indiana in this first round, though. I will say that. I do favor them in that first round. They got all of the things that's necessary...If Dame Lillard is in the lineup and they have all of their pieces, they're for sure the favorite for me in this 4-5 matchup," Williams said.
"They're deep, they're experienced, they are capable of defending, and again, they have the best player in [Antetokounmpo] that is gonna dominate this entire series. There's no one in the NBA that can guard him, definitely no one on the Pacers that can guard him," Parsons said.
There is no denying that Antetokounmpo is one of the most difficult players in the NBA to guard. This is true for the Pacers, who have regularly struggled against bigger ball-dominant players. However, even so, the Pacers have improved significantly on defense during the season and have homecourt advantage, which should give them a slight edge over the Bucks.
While the Pacers may have a hard time containing Antetokounmpo, the Bucks may have just as hard a time defending Indiana's fast-paced offense. The Pacers' offense is one of the best units in the NBA, and it is a major reason they eliminated the Bucks last season.
The Pacers and Bucks will not begin their playoff series until Saturday, so fans will have to wait and see how Parsons and Williams' takes age. However, as it stands, it sounds like more bulletin board material for a Pacers team that thrives as the underdogs.