If the first three games are a sign of things to come, the Indiana Pacers could have a lottery pick this year. A year after making the NBA Finals, Indiana could have the rare opportunity to add a top-tier prospect to its rotation, which may bode well for its long-term outlook with Tyrese Haliburton leading the way.
After Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury that will keep him sidelined for the entire season, most expected that the Pacers would take a step back despite their NBA Finals appearance in 2025. This idea was only further pushed after Myles Turner joined the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason.
However, things are still starting off worse for the Pacers than most anticipated.
Through its first three games of the season, Indiana is 0-3. Additionally, the team's -10.8 net rating is the third-worst in the NBA so far, behind the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets. Furthermore, though there is still a ton of basketball left to be played, the Pacers stand at the bottom of the Eastern Conference through three games.
Most of their lack of success (if not all) can be attributed to the injuries they have to deal with. In addition to Haliburton, the team is currently dealing with injuries to Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, T.J. McConnell, Kam Jones, Johnny Furphy, and Taelon Peter.
At this point, it would be easier to type out who isn't injured for the Pacers at the moment.
Regardless, the Pacers still have an incredibly bright future. And once they navigate through this rough time, they should be able to re-establish themselves as title contenders. However, for the time being, the team will look to get things back on track, though, if they don't, that may not be the end of the world.
The Pacers can secure a top draft pick this season
Let's make one thing clear: tanking is a bad idea more often than it's not.
It's not fair to the players or coaches who are essentially wasting a year of their careers. Additionally, it's not fair to the fans either as they're the ones who have to watch the whole thing unfold.
Plus, another overlooked fact that nobody seems to mention is that finishing with the worst record in the NBA does not automatically translate to securing the No. 1 pick in that year's draft. The last time this happened? It was the 21-61 Phoenix Suns winning the 2018 NBA Draft lottery and landing Deandre Ayton, who may be a Pacers legend in another world.
Tanking does not automatically lead to success. However, if your team is just naturally playing bad basketball and dealing with injuries, is that really considered tanking?
Either way, this is where the Pacers stand right now. With Rick Carlisle still leading the way as their head coach, the team should never be fully counted out. But it's also hard to be optimistic about their immediate outlook for the rest of the season. Nobody knows when they will be fully healthy again, and even when that happens, nobody knows exactly how successful they can be.
If Indiana ultimately misses the playoffs and earns a lottery pick, this could turn out to be the best-case scenario for it.
Think of the Golden State Warriors. They dominated the 2010s and are still the last dynasty the NBA has seen. However, due to numerous injuries to key players like Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry (as well as the departure of Kevin Durant), they finished with a 15-50 record in 2019-10. Their reward? The No. 2 overall pick in that year's draft.
They ultimately drafted James Wiseman. And, though they missed out on key players like Haliburton, LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Maxey, and Desmond Bane, among others, this was still a rare opportunity for them to add a top prospect before winning it all again just two years later.
In 2026, there are a plethora of great prospects who can contribute to winning basketball. This includes BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Kansas' Darryn Peterson, and Duke's Cameron Boozer.
Make no mistake about it, the Pacers should not go out of their way to lose games this season. However, if they fail to make the playoffs, then, in a strange way, this could turn out to be a fantastic move for the team in the long run as they aim to win their first-ever NBA championship sooner rather than later.