There are so many questions about what the Indiana Pacers will need to do in their first preseason game.
There are worries about Tyrese Haliburton and expectations for players both in and out of the Rotation. There are any number of things that could go right to push the Pacers into contention, or wrong to push them back to the dregs of the league.
That's a scary place to be, but that's also not something that can be answered in the first game of the season.
Preseason will not tell us whether Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles is ready to go. It won't tell us how good of a fit Kelly Oubre Jr. can be alongside Andrew Nembhard or Aaron Nesmith. It won't tell us whether the Pacers' pace of play with Ivica Zubac will slow to an understandable and respectable degree, or if the fit between player and team is just too bad to overcome the clear increase in talent that came with that trade.
No, we won't get an answer to any of that, but what we can get an answer to is arguably the most important bit of this season, which looks to be one that will test the limits of every single player on the roster, not just on the court, but off of it as well.
Chemistry is more vital than 2K thinks
Morale is a confusing thing. It has no impact that translates to statistics, and yet everyone can tell you that when a team feels good, they play good. Still, it's hard to see chemistry. Either it's there, or it's not.
The New York Knicks of last year had this in spades. Karl-Anthony Towns was bought in. Jalen Brunson was flanked by one of his best friends on the planet, not to mention another college buddy. Even OG Anunoby, the driest, most underspoken player in the NBA, was happy, and that showed on the court.
So, for the Pacers, the only real object of note we could get in this preseason game is: do they like playing with each other, and do they enjoy each other's company?
Tyrese Haliburton will be all smiles no matter what. That is just who he is. However, Pascal Siakam spoke about how last season weighed on him heavily. Aaron Nesmith is coming back after only playing 45 games. Ivica Zubac has restructured his life after living in L.A. for the entirety of his career, and just finished his cross-country move to Indiana.
These players are human beings, and they will have to rely on each other in what will be a difficult season.
With so much on the line, it's best to focus on the grassroots issues. If this team can meld with each other, if they can call each other out while also supporting one another through the bad moments, then this team can be special.
That can't be seen the same way that playstyles can, but it can be felt instinctively.
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