The Indiana Pacers will be one of the few NBA teams in the league this year that simultaneously consider themselves contenders while also lacking a true top-five (ish) talent. The Philadelphia 76ers, even after stealing Jaylen Brown, are in the same boat.
The New York Knicks just won it all with Jalen Brunson at the helm. Minnesota is chasing its franchise's first ring behind the fiery personality and playstyle of Anthony Edwards. Even the OKC Thunder, a team that houses more MVPs all-time than 80% of franchises, has another one in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander aiming for a second ring.
Maybe that's an unfair standard to set.
76ers plan to join Pacers in title contention
The 76ers were branded as winners of the offseason after flipping a deal for Brown and signing forward Dean Wade. They still do not have a top-five player, largely because Joel Embiid has fallen from his MVP peak, but they are widely seen in that contender category.
Would it be fair to diminish the Sixers' championship hopes because they lack talent on one of the most talent-laden starting lineups in the NBA? Would it be fair to do the same to a Pacers roster that has only gained talent since they made the Finals two years ago?
The answer is a resounding "no".
However, there is no historical precedent set for doing that in the modern era. The 2000s LA Lakers had Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. The 2010s Boston Celtics had the Big Three. From the Heatles to the Giannis Antetokounmpo- and Nikola Jokic-led carry jobs that defined the 2020s, there is simply not a good standard in place that well-rounded rosters can make it through the playoffs.
That leaves just two hopes.
Get more talent
The obvious answer here would be to trade for a top-five guy, although it's far easier said than done. The Miami Heat have spent a decade dangling the same five trade pieces in offers to acquire one and ended up with Giannis only after a catastrophic Milwaukee Bucks season and a season-long injury for the 31-year-old.
There is still the domino of LeBron James, who, while old, has proven he is still one of the best players in the league come playoff time. The Sixers are ostensibly in the hunt for the King, but the Pacers have been told they are out in devastating fashion.
It seems unrealistic that Indiana has any chance at finding even a fringe top-15 player with their assets remaining, so the question becomes, "Do they already have that guy?"
Tyrese Haliburton needs to come back at his best, or else this season will mark the end of this era of Pacers basketball.
Get lucky
Ever wonder how lackluster teams can sneak in a Finals appearance or a title run? Typically, it's just by sticking around deep into the playoffs and then getting lucky with injuries or matchups.
The Jimmy Butler-era Miami Heat were masters of this. Without any real top-tier talent, depending on their two stars and their heaps of role players, Miami made it to two Finals appearances on the backs of being hard to play against and healthier than other teams.
They lost both of those Finals, but the point remains. If you want a chance, you need to get lucky.
With their rosters hoping to be better built for June basketball than their contemporaries, both the Sixers and Pacers will be looking for answers by just outlasting the Knicks and Heat of the conference, and hoping that a positive matchup in the Finals can produce a ring.
That's the only solution to an issue that neither team can fix right now, no matter how hard they try.
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