The Indiana Pacers are finally healthy and are playing some great basketball. Nearly a month into 2025, they are 8-2 in the new year and look destined for another playoff run. The Pacers are starting to look like an elite offensive team again and have turned things around drastically on the defensive side.
Despite getting embarrassed by the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday during the first game of the NBA Paris Games, there is still no denying that the Pacers are in a much better spot now than they were even just one month ago.
A little over halfway through the season and less than two weeks before the trade deadline, the Pacers are four games above .500 and own the No. 5 seed in the East. They have made major strides and look like a top team once again, but they still have some work to do if they want to be considered legitimate title contenders.
Here is where the Pacers rank in a full roundup of expert power rankings nearly a month into 2025.
The Pacers are nearly a consensus top-10 team in the NBA
Website | Ranking | Previous ranking |
|---|---|---|
Bleacher Report | 12 | 12 |
CBS | 11 | 14 |
ESPN | 10 | 12 |
NBA | 8 | 8 |
NBC Sports | 9 | 10 |
In all but two power rankings, the Pacers are in the bottom half of the top 10. Given how hot they have been for a little over a month, this is a fair place to rank the Pacers.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Pacers' turnaround is that they are reminding the basketball world why they were able to make a conference finals run last year and give the eventual champion Boston Celtics their toughest challenge of the postseason. The Pacers are not afraid of bigger competition and play up to their opponents. This was most evident in their win over the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month.
With the second half having just begun for the Pacers, there are some interesting narratives to follow. The first is that the Pacers, even with their hot streak, may have an even easier schedule down the line. It will be fun to see this team continue to develop and build chemistry during the season and see what their peak is.
Additionally, the trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and the Pacers are a team to monitor. So far, they have been linked to Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson, though nothing is imminent on that front. Furthermore, they will have some decisions to make, including what to do with impending free agent Myles Turner, who could be gone sooner rather than later.
Regardless, the Pacers are riding the wave and look ready to compete for a title. Hopefully for them, they can build off of this momentum and reach another level as they get closer to the playoffs.