On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers lost to the Washington Wizards (who were 3-20 heading into the game) and looked horrible, even by this season's standards.
They lost 108-89 at home, which is their second-lowest point total of the season, only ahead of their 83-point performance against the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 9. Furthermore, Indiana shot 36.9% from the field and 25.6% from deep.
The Pacers looked bad on all fronts against Washington, and head coach Rick Carlisle was quick to point that out (h/t Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star).
"Ugly game from our perspective," Carlisle said."Washington played a great game. Really they established aggression from the very beginning and carried it through to the end. Gotta tip your hat to them. The way we played today is not acceptable. Not enough energy. Not the right spirit. Obviously not enough aggression, physicality. You can kinda go down the list."
This was arguably the Pacers' worst game of the season, and unfortunately for them, \ it's just another chapter in what has been a very disappointing campaign.
The Pacers are continuing to struggle on the court
With Tyrese Haliburton out for the season due to an Achilles injury, it was always expected that the Pacers would struggle. He is the engine of their offense due to his elite facilitation and presence as a scoring threat, but he also provides much more defensive value than some may realize.
Even so, Indiana is playing far worse than many expected at this point. The team is 6-20 and owns the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. Additionally, according to Basketball-Reference.com, their 109.1 offensive rating is the second-worst in the NBA, and their 110.2 points per game rank last.
Outside of Haliburton's absence, possibly the biggest reason for Indiana's struggles is the plethora of injuries it's dealing with to other key players.
Obi Toppin has been on the sidelines since Oct. 26 due to a foot injury, and he is still a few months away from his return. Additionally, Aaron Nesmith has been out of action since Nov. 13 due to a knee injury, and he still has no concrete timetable for his return. Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell, and Bennedict Mathurin all missed some time due to injury as well.
It remains to be seen exactly what the Pacers will look like moving forward. They still have one of the best head coaches in the NBA, and even without Haliburton, they have a talented roster. However, they're not even close to a winning record as we approach the end of the calendar year, and they may be in too deep a hole to climb themselves out of.
In an inferior Eastern Conference, it's probably too early to completely rule the Pacers out, despite their play this season. Still, a lot will need to go their way to turn things around and even think about a playoff spot.
At this point, Indiana is more likely to win the draft lottery than make the playoffs. But in some ways, this may ultimately be what's best for the team as they should be ready to re-establish themselves as title contenders next season.