I think it's time for an apology.
So often in basketball coverage, we get bogged down by what won't work, by the things that we see that others don't, and by the warnings we shout without thinking.
There's something to be said about being worried as a sign of belief that more is possible. We worry about Tyrese Haliburton's return because we know what he is capable of. We worry about the Indiana Pacers' depth because we know they will need it to win a championship, and the starters certainly won't be the problem.
We worry because that's what it is to be a fan; that's what it means to care about a team.
And yet, with the season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans blindingly close on the horizon, maybe it's time instead for a little bit of positivity and a bit of a palate cleanser.
Wednesday night's game will not decide what will happen this season to the Pacers or to their opposition. It won't provide any confirmation to hot takes or season predictions, nor will it disprove them.
What it will do, most importantly, is give us a starting point.
The journey begins
This time last year, no one really knew where to rate the Pacers. They still had the core of the team that had just made the finals, but without the engine that made it run. They had quality role players and excellent bench pieces, but little to actually push those players back to quality. They had breakout candidates in Jarace Walker and Andrew Nembhard but also couldn't offer them the same roles going forward that they would for a one-year gap year.
They were so many things all at once, and half of them were contradictory. Now, they are still contradictory but in an entirely different way.
They are simultaneously the team that made the Finals by blitzing every single Eastern Conference opponent with their pace and shooting. In fact, they may even be better, as they've added Ivica Zubac and Kelly Oubre Jr.
And yet, some of their best players are now two years older as well. Time waits for no one, and the careers of Pascal Siakam and TJ McConnell are slowly coming to a close. How much time do they have left?
These contradictions will all coalesce into a ranking that either returns Indiana to contention or ends their title hopes with an unceremonious thud.
It all starts on Wednesday.
It is no longer time for warnings. Instead, it is time to drop anchor, mark the maps, and to draw a new journey in the open seas of the 2026-27 season
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