Pacers need to reverse disturbing trend to be serious contenders

The 2023-24 campaign was the best season the Indiana Pacers have had in a decade. Indiana finished last season with a 47-35 record, their best since the 2018-19 season. Additionally, the Pacers found themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014, despite very few expectations.

Although they got swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics, the Pacers played well in the series, losing all but one game by five or fewer points.

Much of their success has to do with the emergence of All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton, who enjoyed the best year of his career. Furthermore, the mid-season acquisition of former NBA champion Pascal Siakam paid dividends for the rest of the season.

Additionally, the rest of the team also played well all year. This includes long-time Pacers center Myles Turner, first-year Pacers forward Obi Toppin, and nine-year veteran guard T.J. McConnell.

The Pacers averaged a league-leading 123.3 points per game last season, which was ultimately the main reason for their deep playoff run. All things considered, the Pacers should be in playoff contention for a while as it appears they are perfecting their fit together and have the youth to be competitive for a long time.

However, when you look deeper into the team's core, there is a flaw that could be concerning for the long run.

After the Pacers extended guard Andrew Nembhard's contract in July, writer Caitlin Cooper mentioned that the Canadian native was the first rookie the team gave a contract extension to since Turner, who they drafted in 2015.

Cooper also mentioned that Edmond Sumner, who has not been with the team since 2021, was the only other Pacer to receive a second standard contract in that time.

The Pacers have a great team on paper now, but if they want to be set for the long-term future, drafting well and developing a true contender around Haliburton is a must.

The last few drafts have looked better for the Pacers

Since drafting Turner in 2015, many Pacers draft picks turned out to be duds. This includes first-round picks T.J. Leaf, Aaron Holiday, and Chris Duarte. While all these players looked solid in Indiana, none of them lasted more than three seasons with the team.

However, looking at the team's last few drafts, they have nailed it. In the past few years, the Pacers Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin in 2022. Additionally, Ben Sheppard, who the team drafted last year, has a lot of potential. Jarace Walker, who the team technically acquired in a trade with the Washington Wizards during the draft, has shown promise as well.

Additionally, though his rookie season has yet to begin, Johnny Furphy looks like a potential steal for the Pacers out of this year's draft. The Pacers have had a hot streak for the last few years. Whether it will continue or not remains to be seen.