I'll just say it: the Indiana Pacers are winning way too much ... And that's not a good thing.
They're already out of the playoff picture and have been for some time now. And for a while, they were in a perfect position as owners of the worst record in the NBA, which would guarantee at top-five pick in this year's draft (and would give them the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick and at least keeping their pick instead of sending it to the Los Angeles Clippers, which will happen if it falls in the 5-9 range). But now, they're putting themselves in an unnecessary position with only a couple of weeks left in the season.
Indiana has won two games in a row and three of its last five. The team currently owns the third-worst record in the league (tied with the Brooklyn Nets), and is just 2.5 games behind the Utah Jazz, who own the fifth-worst record.
The Pacers have a unique opportunity to land a top draft pick in one of the most stacked classes in recent history, but if they stack up a few too many wins (which they probably already have), then this opportunity may go out the window.
The Pacers are winning way too many games
Finishing the season with the worst record in the league won't guarantee that they'll actually secure the No. 1 pick, but it at least gives them the best chance of keeping their pick and drafting a potential franchise guy. And to add one to a roster that's already capable of competing for a championship next season would be a dream come true.
AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson are widely considered to be the four best prospects in this year's draft. And Indiana should be happy to draft any one of them if the opportunity arises. But, at this point in the season, winning is going to do more harm than good for them as their draft odds will only continue to slip.
Obviously, the players are going to go out and give it their all, even in a lost season. Either they're trying to prove they deserve a spot in next year's rotation (i.e., Ethan Thompson, Kobe Brown, and Jalen Slawson) or are just looking to end the season on a high note in preparation for next season (basically everybody from last year's finals team who is still available). And the idea of purposely losing games (and likely ruining their stats) doesn't sound appealing to these players.
But that's not changing the fact that this season is already over for Indiana. There's nothing to play for. No winning streak is magically going to elevate them to the playoff picture. And that's not entirely a bad thing, considering that their future is still incredibly bright and they will likely be in title contention again next season.
The Pacers are playing a little too well right now. They just better hope it doesn't come back to bite them in the end.