The Indiana Pacers roster for the 2024-25 season is essentially set in stone. This summer, the team re-signed Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin, extended Andrew Nembhard's contract, and drafted Johnny Furphy in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Last season, the Pacers made it to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2014. Unfortunately for the team, they ultimately got swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics. Still, despite their playoff elimination, the Pacers showed the world why they can be a serious threat to come out of the Eastern Conference in the near future.
The Pacers averaged a league-leading 123.3 points per game. Additionally, their 121 ORTG was second-best in the NBA last season, only behind the Celtics. Their offense, led by All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton, is truly elite. However, their major flaws show on the other side of the ball.
The Pacers would benefit from hiring a defensive coordinator
Indiana allowed 120.2 points per game last season (fourth-worst in the NBA) and had a 118 DRTG (seventh-worst in the NBA). The interesting thing about the Pacers' defense, however, is that they actually have good defensive players on the team.
Siakam is a very versatile defender who provided a huge boost to the team after they acquired him. Additionally, Myles Turner is a two-time blocks leader and is a great rim protector.
On the perimeter, the Pacers do not have any lockdown defenders. However, T.J. McConnell has developed a reputation as a pesky defender. Furthermore, Haliburton and Nembhard, the two Pacers representatives in the 2024 Paris Olympics, are still not great defenders. However, they both improved as last season went on.
Additionally, Aaron Nesmith is constantly improving as a defensive wing, and Toppin has shown glimpses of being a great defender for the team.
However, despite the defensive talent being there, the Pacers are a below-average defensive team. While not traditional in the NBA, the team should add a defensive coordinator to the staff. Head coach Rick Carlisle is a fantastic offensive coach, but his teams have historically struggled on defense for the most part.
Looking at the Dallas Mavericks, Carlisle's prior stop before returning to the Pacers in 2021, they immediately improved a lot on defense after bringing in Jason Kidd, who brought in defensive focus. Currently, though they are not an elite defensive team, it is clear after watching them in the second half of last season that they are much better than the stats show.
Additionally, the Los Angeles Clippers brought in former Coach of the Year Jeff Van Gundy as their defensive coordinator just this summer.
It is not conventional, but if the Pacers want to take that next step as a contender, bringing in a defensive coordinator could benefit the team in the long run.