This season has been an ugly one for the Indiana Pacers, who set a new franchise record for losing streaks two separate times. They are 17-58 and have looked like one of the worst teams in the NBA for pretty much the entire season.
But in their victory against the Miami Heat, who are bound for a Play-In spot (yes, again), the Pacers looked like themselves once again. Even without Aaron Nesmith and Jarace Walker, Indiana won by a score of 135-118. Additionally, the team shot 57.6% from the field and 46.2% from deep and was led by Pascal Siakam, who recorded a 30-point, 11-rebound double-double.
In a season as disappointing as this one has been for the Pacers (even under the circumstances of Tyrese Haliburton's injury and Myles Turner's departure), it's nice for the fans to see them not only win, but win in this fashion where they looked good in every aspect of the game, even if it was against a Heat team that has now lost seven of their last eight games.
But on the flip side, wins don't always spark immediate joy in Indiana at this point in the season. And their latest win may be Exhibit A as to why.
The Pacers could be ruining their tank
With only a handful of games left on the schedule, the Pacers are 17-58 and own the worst record in the NBA. But it's close.
Following their latest victory, they are just four games behind the Utah Jazz, who currently own the fifth-worst record in the league. Additionally, fewer than two games separate Indiana from the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, and Sacramento Kings in the standings, which isn't ideal.
If the season ended today, the Pacers would have a 52.1% chance of landing a top-four pick in this year's draft and a 14% chance of securing No. 1. Furthermore, since they own the worst record in the league, they wouldn't be able to fall below the No. 5 pick in what most consider to be one of the most stacked NBA drafts in recent history.
One win isn't going to change everything, but the Pacers are in a tight race at the bottom of the standings and may have a unique opportunity to draft a player who has the potential to be a franchise guy in the NBA. And given that they can only keep their pick if it falls in the 1-4 range because of the Ivica Zubac trade, in a twisted way, losses mean everything to the Pacers right now.