ESPN's Tim Bontemps does not think the Indiana Pacers will be a top-six team in the East this season. However, the Pacers have proven their critics wrong before, and they will be prepared to do so again.
In a recent episode of "The Hoop Collective" podcast, Bontemps questioned why Indiana should rank in the top six in the East and above teams like the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls. Furthermore, Bontempts went as far as to say the Pacers "confidently" will not be a playoff team this season.
"What's the argument, besides the machine's machine, that they are better than these teams? ... I think Rick [Carlisle]'s a very good coach, but they lost two of their three or four best players and didn't replace them ... I would very confidently bet that the Pacers will not be a top-six team this year," Bontemps said.
The Pacers are accustomed to proving their critics and doubters wrong at this point.
As the No. 6 seed in 2024, few expected them to go on a deep playoff run, but they made it all the way to the conference finals. Additionally, after a 10-15 start to the 2024-25 season, many counted them out. However, they turned things around in a major way and were ultimately one win away from winning their first-ever NBA championship.
Things will be different for Indiana this year, though, and Bontemps' comments are not completely misguided.
The Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season due to an Achilles injury. Additionally, they lost Myles Turner in free agency after he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. Just about everybody on the roster will take on a bigger role, and it will be sink-or-swim time for many. Furthermore, they have many concerns to address: their center situation, their depth, how they will generate offense without their star guard, etc.
Ultimately, things could be disastrous for Indiana. However, they have proved people wrong before, and they have what it takes to do it again.
The Pacers have many advantages that bode well for them
It is easy to dissect all of Indiana's concerns and weaknesses ahead of this season. However, there is still a lot going its way, which could be the driving force to its potential success.
Perhaps most importantly, the Pacers have one of the best head coaches in the NBA today in Rick Carlisle.
Carlisle, who was recently voted the best offensive mind in the league by rival GMs, knows exactly how to get the most out of his players. Guys like Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, and Obi Toppin, among many others, have played their best basketball under him, and that is not a coincidence. The New York native knows how to play to his players' strengths, and fans should expect him to get the most out of his team this season.
Additionally, while it is a big step back compared to last season, the Pacers still have an incredibly talented roster. Andrew Nembhard has looked good in limited expanded roles before. Now, he will have an opportunity to showcase what he can do with more opportunities.
The same goes for Bennedict Mathurin, who has already proven to the Pacers and the basketball world that he should be a force this season.
It also helps that the Pacers are still one cohesive unit with a lot of continuity. They have had some roster turnover since making it to the conference finals in 2024, but not much. This has helped the team develop chemistry over time. Now that they need to rely on each other more than ever, this should only prove to work out in their favor.
The Pacers are in a wide-open Eastern Conference and have what it takes to shock the basketball world again. Another deep playoff run is highly unlikely, but it's not impossible.
This season, fans should expect a well-coached Pacers team that will all play well alongside each other. There will be some growing pains along the way, but as it stands, there are reasons to believe that Indiana will have much more success than many are expecting.
And that includes Bontemps and every other Pacers critic who seemingly have not learned their lesson.