Pacers must avoid this disturbingly common Eastern Conference trend in 2025

Last season was one for the ages in Indiana. On the way to ending a four-year postseason drought, the Pacers made history.

They were the league's best offense in terms of points per game, assists, and field goal percentage. Indiana even boasted the best second unit across the NBA.

They made a splash during their return to the playoffs upsetting the third and second seeds en route to a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite being swept by the eventual champions, the Boston Celtics, the Pacers were only the sixth seed in the postseason and played without Bennedict Mathurin.

However, there have been quite a few occasions where a team in the East breaks out and plays more basketball after 82 regular season games. Then, they squander the opportunity to make it two seasons in a row and miss the playoffs again.

That's even happened a couple of times inside the Pacers' own organization. In fact, the Pacers never made the postseason in back-to-back seasons until the emergence of Reggie Miller.

Let's take a look at these instances.

1. The 1980-81 & the 1986-87 Indiana Pacers

The first of those two seasons marked the debut of the Pacers in the postseason. It was short-lived as they were swept in two games by the Philadelphia 76ers.

They were also the sixth seed that season behind then-head coach Jack McKinney. The Pacers had the 11th-best offense and defense in addition to owning the 11th-best attendance that season.

Seven players averaged 10 points or more led by Billy Knight's 17.5 points a game. Don Buse was the only Pacer to shoot better than 25% from behind the arc, and he averaged less than six points a contest.

It would be another six seasons before the Pacers returned to the playoffs after their first taste of postseason play. A different Jack took over as head coach (Ramsay) and the roster clearly looked different.

Chuck Person was the leading scorer with 18.8 points a game. This version of the Pacers was much better behind the arc as four players averaged more than 30% from there including Person.

At 41-41, the Pacers earned the seventh seed and a first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. After another early exit from the playoffs, Indiana would make the postseason in 16 of their 17 seasons starting in 1989-1990.

In 2010, the Pacers would also qualify for the playoffs in every season that decade except for the 2014-15 season. Fast forward 10 years to the present day and the Pacers hope to not be a one-hit wonder like these next NBA teams.