The Pacers are ready to prove they aren't the 2021 Hawks

The Indiana Pacers made a run that no one else expected them to make. No one had them making the Eastern Conference Finals before the season started. Yet, they were able to come together as a team and win a lot of games. Had they been able to close better, they could have given Boston a run for their money.

Despite this, there are those around the league who don't think this is a sustainable run for Indiana. A lot of them think that they could be the second coming of the 2021 Hawks. That team also made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals have have done nothing since.

Indiana is well aware of this. They know what everyone else thinks of them. Yet, they are not deterred. They are ready to reload, not rebuild. Re-signing Pascal Siakam was the first part of that plan. They have enough assets to make a big move to get a third star too.

The Pacers are determined to show this run was not a fluke

Indiana has all of the offensive firepower that they need. They scored the most points in both the regular season and the postseason. It's clear that's not a problem. With Tyrese Haliburton running the show and Siakam as a co-star, offense is not the issue.

Defense is something that they have to get better at. They know it. This offseason is going to be about preparing to be better defensively without sacrificing how good they are on offense. It's not like the Pacers need to be an elite defense either. They need to just be average.

If they can become an average or an above-average defensive team, they immediately become a dangerous team. Boston is still the team to beat with the starting five that they have. But that's a starting five that can't stay healthy. Kristaps Porzingis clearly can't last an entire playoff run.

Haliburton also needs to stay healthy for a full season. If he can do that and the team gets better defensively, they'll find themselves back in the Eastern Conference Finals next season.