The story of the 2024-25 Indiana Pacers has been an interesting one so far. Through the first two months, the Pacers dealt with numerous injuries and looked like a shell of last year's conference finals team. This led to some wondering if a trade or two were in the plans. However, they ultimately turned things around and are one of the hottest teams in 2025.
Beyond getting past their early round of injuries, the Pacers' play on the court has also drastically improved. They already had an elite offense, but their defense was worrisome. However, since the turn of the calendar, the Pacers' 114.3 DRTG ranks as the ninth-best in the NBA, according to StatMuse. Now, the Pacers are one of the most complete teams in basketball and sit firmly in the playoff picture. However, this does not mean they are without their flaws.
While their defense looks to be a legitimate unit now, the Pacers are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA. With an average of 41 rebounds per game, only the Philadelphia 76ers (39.2 RPG), are a worse rebounding team in the league. Even so, the Pacers are constantly proving that, despite their poor rebounding, they are still contenders and should be looked at as such.
Pacers continue to win despite poor rebounding
Since the start of February, the Pacers have racked up nine wins. In those wins, they were out-rebounded six times. This includes their matchup against the Houston Rockets on March 4, where they secured just 35 rebounds to Houston's 58. Of all of the Pacers' recent victories, this is arguably the most interesting one considering that the Rockets are currently the NBA's best rebounding team. Regardless, the Pacers were able to walk away with a victory.
With a little over one month left in the regular season, every game is important for the Pacers from here on out. Even given their amazing turnaround, the Pacers still own just the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, though they are in a three-way battle between the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons for the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage.
While securing home-court advantage could prove beneficial to the Pacers, they have also shown time and again that they can always rise to the occasion regardless of their seeding. As it stands, the Pacers are a feared playoff opponent for any contender, and now that they have proven they can win despite their biggest flaw, they are even more dangerous than many expected them to be.