The Indiana Pacers have officially become the first NBA team to be eliminated from playoff contention this season, which doesn't come as much of a surprise if you've been paying attention since at least the start of November.
With a month remaining on the schedule, Indiana is 15-50. The team owns the worst record in the NBA and is sitting in a solid position to secure a high pick in this year's draft.
Even under the circumstances of Tyrese Haliburton's injury, Myles Turner's departure, and expected growing pains from everybody else on the roster taking on a bigger role, this season has been a big disappointment for the Pacers. They were just one win away from winning it all, and there were reasons to think they could make at least a Play-In push in a wide-open Eastern Conference this year.
Of course, probably the biggest reason for the Pacers' poor record this season is the plethora of injuries they have had to deal with.
Andrew Nembhard missed quite some time after injuring his shoulder on opening night. T.J. McConnell missed the first 10 games of the season due to a hamstring injury. Obi Toppin missed four months due to a foot injury. And players like Aaron Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin missed a lot of time for the Pacers as well.
Regardless of how or why it happened, the Pacers will not be in the postseason this year, and they will now focus on next season, where better days are almost inevitably ahead.
The Pacers have a strong outlook for next season
Even if it doesn't seem like it right this second, there's a lot to be excited about regarding Indiana's future, especially next season.
Haliburton will be back on the court (and may be able to make an immediate impact despite coming off an Achilles injury), and the rest of the team will revert to the roles they had when the Pacers made it to the NBA Finals in 2025.
Additionally, they will have a legitimate center on the court again in Ivica Zubac, who should greatly elevate the team in every area of the game. (And not to mention the possibility of them adding AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, or Caleb Wilson with a top pick in this year's draft).
The Pacers are also still in an Eastern Conference that mostly seems to be open.
As it stands, the Boston Celtics (who were the No. 2 seed in the conference even before getting Jayson Tatum back) are likely Indiana's biggest threat. But beyond them, there isn't really anybody the Pacers should truly be scared of.
Indiana can certainly defeat the Detroit Pistons in a seven-game series, largely because of their lack of shot-creation outside of Cade Cunningham. Additionally, they sent the New York Knicks home in each of the last two years, and the jury is still out on teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers (known to crumble in the playoffs), Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat.
The future looks good for the Pacers. And as it is, there are reasons to think they'll be right back near the top of the conference as soon as next season.