The Indiana Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals in each of the last two seasons and were just one win away from their first-ever NBA Championship in 2025. Now, they are 10-35, they stand alone at the bottom of the East, and they are only 0.5 games better than the New Orleans Pelicans, who own the worst record in the NBA.
However, this slip in the standings should only be temporary. Tyrese Haliburton is expected to return next season, the Pacers are well-positioned to land a stud in this year's draft, and they should have a more concrete answer at center following Myles Turner's departure.
Things are ugly in Indiana right now. But better days are ahead, and Pascal Siakam just sent a crucial reminder that the brand of basketball the team is playing right now is not and should not be the norm (h/t Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar.com).
"This is not us," Siakam said. "I hope that the young guys or whoever is new on our team, this is not Pacer basketball. We don't lose a lot of games, at least since I've been here. I think we just have to keep working for that standard, keep chasing that standard. Understanding that regardless of the record, regardless of what's happening, you just gotta have a standard. That's what we gotta go for every day. Some shots might go in one night or not, but we can't compromise on our standards."
The Pacers' future is incredibly bright
Siakam is absolutely right: this is not Pacers basketball.
The team has already lost 35 games a little over halfway through the season (they lost 32 in 2024-25 and 35 exactly in 2023-24), and they are statistically one of the worst teams in numerous areas.
Indiana ranks last in offensive rating (108.7), according to Basketball-Reference.com. It also ranks 29th in points per game (109.9), last in FG% (44.2%), 28th in 3FG% (34%), and 23rd in rebounds per game (42.8), per NBA.com.
The Pacers have been one of the best offensive teams in the NBA in recent years, even leading the league in PPG with 123.3 in 2023-24. However, things have been completely different for them this season, and it's easy to see why.
Without Haliburton on the court, the Pacers are without the engine of their offense and someone who has established himself as one of the best facilitators and playmakers in the game. Additionally, because of his absence, almost everybody on the roster is being tasked with taking on a bigger role. And naturally, there have been a lot of growing pains.
Still, while it doesn't look pretty now, the Pacers will be in a good spot to remind the basketball world just how good they still are next season, especially in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
The rest of this season might be a wash, but that's not a bad thing for Indiana. Better days are ahead, and they're going to come sooner rather than later.