With Tyrese Haliburton coming back next season, the Indiana Pacers should be able to return to title contention and finish what they started last year, when they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the finals.
On paper, Indiana has a lot going for it. Its roster is incredibly talented, and it has an elite front office and coaching staff. It still plays in a mostly wide-open Eastern Conference with only two teams they may need to be scared of (the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics), and we can't forget about the possibility of the team adding AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, or Caleb Wilson in this year's draft.
There may be some chemistry issues to begin next season, but for the most part, there are reasons to believe the Pacers' return to contention will mostly be seamless. However, above all else, staying healthy is more important than anything else. And that will ultimately determine just how dominant they can be next season.
The Pacers' health will be crucial to their success next season
While his injury wasn't the only factor (Myles Turner's departure and injuries to other key players), not having Haliburton on the floor last season was devastating for the Pacers. They finished with a franchise-worst 19-63 record and were a huge mess on both sides of the ball, especially in comparison to their teams the two seasons prior.
Obviously, Haliburton's case was extreme, but the fact remains that the Pacers can only be true title contenders if they are healthy. Everybody works so well together on the court that, if even one part of the machine isn't fully working, it's going to show.
The Wisconsin native is the Pacers' most important player, but even if they were to be without guys like Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, or Ivica Zubac for an extended period of time, that might be too detrimental to them and might be too much to overcome.
Fortunately for Indiana, most of its players ended the season healthy, and that's important. It should make it easier for the team to gain some momentum and build chemistry before the start of next season. Hopefully for them, this is a trend that continues moving forward.
The Pacers have a lot to like about their team and both short- and long-term outlook. And as long as they stay as healthy as possible, they should be able to get back to it next season and re-establish themselves as legitimate championship contenders.
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