The Indiana Pacers entered the new year with a 6-28 record, which was the worst in the NBA. Additionally, they lost a franchise-record 13 consecutive games from Dec. 12 until Jan. 8. They were in prime tanking position at the bottom of the NBA standings, which could bode well for them ahead of what is expected to be a loaded 2026 draft.
However, things have been looking up recently for the Pacers. And that might not be entirely a good thing.
The Pacers may be winning too many games now
Following its 13-game losing streak, Indiana has now won three games in a row. This includes a 24-point victory against the Miami Heat and a clutch win against the Boston Celtics.
Three wins alone won't change the Pacers' ranking too much, but even a slight shift could "ruin their tank."
Amid their longest winning streak of the season, the Pacers are now 9-31. They no longer own the worst record in the league (that distinction now belongs to the New Orleans Pelicans), and they are just two games behind the Washington Wizards, who are the No. 14 seed in the East.
It still remains to be seen if this three-game winning streak is a sign of things to come or not. But at this point, Pacers fans may not want it to be.
Nobody expected the team to be this bad this season, even without Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, but they were. And now that Indiana has gotten an idea of how realistic it is for it to land a top pick in this year's draft, that might need to remain its biggest priority.
The future is bright in Indiana regardless of what happens this season. But either way, the Pacers are not going to make any noise in the Eastern Conference in 2026. They are not going to make the postseason, and even if they do, a lot would need to go their way to win a series or two.
Instead of scraping by and being in no man's land (too good to tank but too bad to be real contenders), the Pacers may be better off just experimenting as much as possible and prioritizing development over wins.
The Pacers have a unique opportunity to add a potential franchise player-level guy in this year's draft, whether it be AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson, or Caleb Wilson. But if they keep winning, that could become a very big problem.