The Indiana Pacers are going to re-establish themselves as legitimate contenders, and it might happen as soon as next year. Even in the midst of Indiana's gap year, the Eastern Conference still looks wide-open, and the team will be well-positioned to remind the basketball world that they are still one of the top dogs in the conference.
The Pacers should be title contenders again in the near future
The Detroit Pistons currently own the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. And at 31-10, they own the second-best record in the entire league (only behind the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who are 36-8).
Additionally, the Boston Celtics (who many counted out after Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury) are 26-16 and own the No. 2 seed. Even without their star forward on the court.
Beyond these two teams, however, nobody is stepping up in the East. The New York Knicks, who were widely considered a top-two team in the conference without a doubt, are on a four-game losing streak and are just 2.5 games ahead of the No. 8 seed Miami Heat.
Furthermore, the Cleveland Cavaliers are just 24-20, stand as the No. 7 seed in the East, and are generally considered one of the league's biggest disappointments so far.
Almost no team has taken advantage of Indiana's situation this season, which should bode incredibly well for the team moving forward. Once Tyrese Haliburton returns (and the Pacers potentially add a top star from this year's draft class), they should be able to re-enter the title picture as soon as next year.
And given the state of the rest of the East, that should terrify them.
Nobody knows where teams like the Knicks or Cavaliers go from here, the Milwaukee Bucks might not be much of a factor moving forward if Giannis Antetokounmpo gets traded, and the Pacers shouldn't be scared of teams like the Orlando Magic or Toronto Raptors.
The East looks like it will be wide-open when the Pacers are ready to contend once again, and the sky should still be the limit for them.
Whether or not they will be in the NBA Finals again as soon as next year remains to be seen. But at the very least, the team and the fans should be happy with the way things are playing out. The Pacers may rank near the bottom of the league standings, but they certainly seem to be winning off the court.