The Indiana Pacers are fresh off their best campaign in years. During the 2023-24 season, the Pacers ended with a 47-35 record, their best since the 2018-19 season. Additionally, despite being the No. 6 seed, the Pacers made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014.
Ultimately, they got swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics, but they made it clear they are not a team to continue overlooking in the Eastern Conference. With the exception of Game 2, every game against Boston was decided by five or fewer points.
Additionally, the Pacers are a very young team and should only continue to improve over time. With stars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam signed to long-term contracts, Indiana will likely remain in playoff contention for the long run. However, some changes must be made for the team to be considered title contenders in the near future.
Although the Pacers led the league in points per game last season (123.3 points), their defense is holding them back from reaching the next level. Last season, the Pacers gave up 120.2 points per game (fourth-worst) and had a DRTG of 118.0 (seventh-worst). Additionally, their 49.6 defended FG% was tied for worst in the league with the Washington Wizards.
If the Pacers want to cement themselves as a serious title contender, improving their defense is a top priority.
The defensive potential is there for the Indiana Pacers
Even though the Pacers are not a good defensive team, there is still some defensive talent on the team. Players like Aaron Nesmith and T.J. McConnell are known to be high-energy players who are pesky defenders, especially on the perimeter.
Pascal Siakam is a good defender who certainly helped the team on the defensive end after getting traded to Indiana in January. Additionally, Myles Turner is a two-time block champion and has the tools to be an elite defender in the league.
Ultimately, there are good defenders on the Pacers roster, but it is clear there is potential that has not been realized yet. It will be interesting to see how head coach Rick Carlisle can help this team reach its potential on defense.