In his latest media availability, Indiana Pacers president Kevin Pritchard reminded fans all across the globe that this team is at their best when they are counted out (YouTube link). With Tyrese Haliburton's injury and Myles Turner's departure, nobody is expecting the Pacers to compete next year. However, they have a knack for shocking the world, and they can do it again.
"We've done the best when we've had a chip on our shoulder, when everybody counts us out in a series or a season, and I'm not so sure you should count us out yet," Pritchard said.
After taking the best team in the NBA last season to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, things have quickly turned grim for Indiana. Fortunately for them, they still have a bright future and are in a wide-open Eastern Conference. It is going to be incredibly difficult, and a lot will need to go their way, but the Pacers are being doubted once again, and like Pritchard said, this is when they do the most damage.
The Pacers have an interesting season ahead of them
The offseason is still young, but there are already plenty of narratives for Pacers fans to monitor the rest of this summer into the regular season. Most notably, it remains to be seen what the team will do at center with Turner no longer in the picture. Furthermore, it will be worth following their point guard situation as Haliburton is now confirmed to miss the entirety of next season.
As it stands, the safest assumption is that the Pacers will run a committee at center (likely with some combination of Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, James Wiseman, and Tony Bradley). On the other hand, the team will likely move Andrew Nembhard to point guard full-time. Though this is far from ideal for Indiana, they have regularly exceeded expectations. This will be one of their most difficult challenges up to this point, but they have given fans reasons to believe they can do it once again.
With next year being what most would consider a gap year, the Pacers are in a unique spot where they can hand out more opportunities to players who typically would not have gotten them. This includes key players like Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith, who will take on bigger roles next season. Additionally, fans could see more of Bennedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker, and potentially even Johnny Furphy as all of them aim to establish themselves as long-term assets for the Pacers.
There is a good chance the Pacers are not legitimate title contenders next season, and an NBA Finals appearance is incredibly unlikely. Even so, they still have a talented roster and one of the best coaches in the league. A playoff appearance is still a very real possibility for Indiana, and like they proved this past season, anything can happen in the playoffs. Whether they can recreate some of that same magic or not remains to be seen. Regardless, if one thing is clear, the Pacers cannot be counted out, no matter how things may look.