The Boston Celtics swept the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. In three of the four games, the Pacers held a late lead despite this. One may argue that they ought to have prevailed in each of those games. Clearly, they didn’t, which explains why they’re lounging at home.
The Dallas Mavericks are already down two games in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. While Game 2 only came dangerously close in the final ninety seconds, Game 1 was not that close. What thus does this tell us about a Pacers team that nearly put Boston out of the game each time?
Prior to delving further, it is imperative to acknowledge that Boston was without Kristaps Porzingis for the entirety of the Conference Finals. He has contributed significantly to Boston’s win in both games and has performed effectively. Tyrese Haliburton was unavailable for Game 3 or Game 4 for the Pacers at the same time.
The Pacers are closer than people think to an NBA title
The absence of offense from Dallas in the Finals is one thing we’ve witnessed, and it makes me believe the Pacers are closer to an NBA championship than most people realize. Because they could blitz Boston with offensive from every player on the court, the Pacers were competitive in every game they played there.
It is evident that Dallas is having serious offensive difficulties. They still haven’t scored above 100 points. The NBA’s top offense belongs to Indiana. It’s evident that in today’s NBA, having strong offense is more important than having strong defense to win a championship.
To genuinely compete for a title, Indiana’s defense only has to be a little bit stronger. Contrary to what the rest of the NBA believes, they are far closer to representing the East. Building offense is far more difficult than building defense. They might be just one or two bits short of a title.
Pacers supporters should be encouraged by the way this Finals are going to show that their squad is a top team. Better things may happen in the off-season.
After Game 1 of the NBA Finals, it appears like people are now starting to realize how talented the Indiana Pacers are. It took them a long to get this recognition.
Even though the Boston Celtics defeated Indiana in a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana still offered Boston the best matchup of the postseason so far. Even though the Pacers were unable to defeat them, they battled them close in three of the four games and were essentially in the lead before blowing all of their leads in the fourth quarter.
There were differing opinions in the public at the time of Indiana’s Game 4 defeat. They battled the Celtics closer than the Heat or Cavaliers in the first round, so some fans thought they posed a real danger to the top of the East if they played their cards properly. Some, like the majority of Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks supporters, believed that Indiana was a team that once witnessed lightning in a bottle and would never repeat that performance in a completely healthy East.
After the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, sentiment against the Pacers began to shift more in their favor. In particular, after the first game, many started to see how Boston was far more troubled by Indiana’s fast-paced, unpredictable offense than by Dallas’ Luka-first one.
Even though they lost, it appears that Indiana is finally receiving the attention they are due. It took another team to show their argument, though. In retrospect, it’s fantastic to see the rest of the world realize how terrific the Pacers are, even though they have been praising their squad throughout the season and playoffs and refuting any claims that they are a “fluke” team.
When the 2024–25 regular season gets underway, there will be an even greater focus on Indiana, so they need to make the most of it and outperform their previous season—especially in the postseason. This upcoming season, Pacers basketball will be watched by both fans and detractors alike. Tyrese Haliburton and colleagues must provide an exciting game for them to watch.
The world is now beginning to see what the “little team” in Indiana is creating—something that Pacers supporters have known since the franchise’s founding.
This season, the Indiana Pacers made significant progress. They shown that, on any given night, they can defeat anyone in the league. Their inexperience in the playoffs and youth were evident in the Eastern Conference Finals, as they were unable to seal three games in which they held a late lead.
Now that they’ve encountered it, that shouldn’t occur once more. Prior to this year, Pascal Siakam was probably the only player they had who had advanced that far in the playoffs. Midway through the season, they made a significant trade-off to acquire Siakam, and it paid off.
To get him, Indiana had to part with three first-round selections, Bruce Brown, and Jordan Nwora. Siakam is a free agent this summer and can choose to sign with any club he wants, but they still went ahead and accomplished all of that. This brings us to a catastrophe that the Pacers cannot allow to occur this summer.
The Pacers have to get Pascal Siakam to re-sign at all costs
Siakam must return to Indiana. If, in the midst of the year, they managed to lose him despite having sacrificed so much to win him over, it would be a catastrophic outcome. They will do every effort to get Siakam back, since a max contract is anticipated to be given.
Tyrese Haliburton has made remarks on his intention to text him each day to ensure his return. He is aware of Siakam’s critical importance to the Pacers squad over the next two to three years. This squad gains a lot of offensive and even defensive capabilities from Siakam that they did not have previously.
The Pacers can put the ball in Siakam’s hands anywhere in the paint and expect him to get a bucket. He’s money if he’s in the midrange or at the rim. He virtually always makes hard, disputed twos. None of the other players on this team are capable of doing it. Siakam’s length matters from end to end of the court.
Nothing suggests the Pacers won’t be able to get him back. When he was in Indiana, he appeared to enjoy the gifts that the supporters brought him. In addition to receiving an enormous salary, he will have the chance to be a member of a successful team.
The Indiana Pacers have a backup center problem
Although the Pacers’ backup centers occasionally performed effectively, the postseason exposed several issues that need to be resolved.
The Indiana Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals by utilizing their depth. During the regular season and into the postseason, they had the best scoring bench in the NBA. While the majority of the bench performed admirably throughout, one position group had difficulties.
Problems arose every time Myles Turner walked to the bench. Against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, Jalen Smith exhausted his playing options. Smith actually participated in just seven postseason games. This came after he finished the regular season with an average of 10 points and 42% from three.
Isaiah Jackson showed flashes of lightning-fast skill against the Knicks. In Game 4, he had a particularly noteworthy performance with 10 points and 6 rebounds. He participated in 15 postseason games for the Pacers. The only other game he was able to regularly rebound was the one against the Knicks.
Jackson was -7 when he was on the court against Boston. He is limited to catching lobs since he is unable to space the floor or dribble. Despite his excellent passing ability, T.J. McConnell may not complement the other members of the team stylishly. And his defense is still weak. He is an absolute turd.
Thus, how do the Pacers play? In the postseason, should they simply stick with their small-ball lines, starting Toppin or Siakam at center, and hope for the best? Or do they venture out and make an effort to find a replacement? Which player most closely matches that description?
Smith’s contract is set for the next season. Most likely, he will choose to participate. I think he should stay, even if they have two backup centers. He can make a few threes and at least extends the floor. He also snatches rebounds more forcefully when he becomes hostile. Smith only needs to strengthen himself.
Mason Plumlee would be a fantastic choice if they went out and got someone to take that job. Once Daniel Theis arrived in Los Angeles, he was in and out of the rotation, but he would be a good match in Indiana. He can put the ball in the hoop when necessary and is an excellent rebounder and passer.
Former Pacers player believes Indiana should retire his jersey.
The fact that Plumlee will be inexpensive is his finest quality. If the Pacers want to upgrade at that position, he would be a strong choice.
A look at how the Indiana Pacers succeeded in the 2023 Draft
Both of the Pacers’ 2023 draft picks were gradually inserted into the starting lineup. Sheppard would end up starting a game in both the regular season and Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, as was seen in the latter parts of the regular season.
Sheppard was selected 26th overall in the draft after playing four years at Belmont. Being out of the rotation early in the season and with numbers that don’t pop out of the page, he was possibly one of the big name steals as a rookie and missed out on being named to the all-rookie team. He is a very strong three-point shooter in addition to being a reliable defender who at times appeared to be among the team’s top three defenders. His statistics of 4.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game will keep rising.
Isaiah Wong was also selected by the Pacers with the 55th overall pick from Miami, although he only played in one game the whole season. Although he has a two-way contract with the Mad Ants, he might be able to find work with another group. While the Pacers are open to giving him a more advanced position in the upcoming campaign, given his late second-round selection, he will undoubtedly have to put in a lot of effort.
Undrafted free agent Oscar Tshiebwe, a Kentucky native, was an incredible player for the Mad Ants, winning the G-League rookie of the year award, leading the league in rebounds, and being named to the All-NBA G-League First team. During his eight games with the Pacers, the former NCAA National Player of the Year averaged 3.3 points and two rebounds per game. Like Wong, Tshiebwe is a guy to keep an eye on and has the potential to fill a valuable position down the road.
After just one season, the Pacers’ 2023 Draft is bright, and it will only grow better as these guys develop and get more NBA experience.
