Everybody knew the Indiana Pacers would take a step back this season following Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles tear and Myles Turner's departure. But even so, they have been way worse than many thought they would be, and it's left some concerned, including The Ringer's Zach Lowe.
"Should [the Pacers] really be this bad? I mean, [Obi] Toppin's missed the whole season, [Aaron] Nesmith came back about a week ago, so they haven't been healthy healthy. But they did reach a critical mass of health...guys started coming back, and they just kept on losing. And it's like, should they really be this bad?" Lowe said.
The Pacers are currently 6-30. They own the worst record in the NBA and are currently in the midst of a 12-game losing streak, which ties a franchise record. Additionally, according to Basketball-Reference.com, they rank 29th in offensive rating (109.3) and 23rd in defensive rating (118.3).
Indiana stands alone as the worst team in the league, and the numbers reflect that. Of course, a lot of the team's shortcomings have to do with the injuries it's dealt with. Even beyond Haliburton, the Pacers have played long stretches of games without Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin, and Bennedict Mathurin at different times, just to name a few players.
However, there are still concerns about Indiana's play. After all, Pascal Siakam has played the majority of the season, and they have been mostly healthy for a while. Even so, they are playing like a shell of their past selves on both sides of the ball, and it could be some cause for concern as they look to re-enter the title picture sooner rather than later.
Should Pacers fans be concerned about the team's play?
It would be a lie to say Pacers fans shouldn't be concerned at all about the way the team has performed this season. Even without Haliburton and Turner, they still had an incredibly talented roster and could have exceeded expectations in a wide-open Eastern Conference. Another NBA Finals appearance was likely off the table, but there were still dreams of them being a postseason team in 2026.
As it stands, that is now completely off the table.
Indiana has looked bad for pretty much the entire season, and it most likely will not be competitive at all until Haliburton returns. The team is playing very inefficiently, the pace is off, and they are playing sloppy basketball on both sides. Additionally, perhaps the most concerning element of all of this is that nobody is stepping up.
This was going to be all about experimentation to see who can stick around and contribute past this season. So far, though, things have not gone as well as the Pacers had hoped.
Jarace Walker, Isaiah Jackson, and Ben Sheppard have all mostly looked like disappointments. Additionally, because of the number of injuries they have had to deal with, the end of the bench is constantly changing.
It feels like the Pacers' worst nightmares this season are coming true, and it's hard to take any positives away. However, that doesn't mean it's the end of the world.
Indiana still has a talented roster, even if it may not look like it this season. Plus, once Haliburton returns, not only will the team get their star guard back (who also excels at making everybody around him better), but they will be able to move everyone back into their normal roles.
It is also fair to assume that they will figure out their center situation by the start of next season. And with how poorly they have played, landing a high lottery pick in this year's draft is a very, very real possibility for the Pacers.
Things look bleak in Indiana right now, and maybe the team is playing worse than they should be. But there is still a lot to like about their long-term outlook, and fans should continue to be excited about what the future may hold.