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The 2024-25 NBA season is here! We’re breaking down the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy outlooks for all 30 teams. Enjoy!
INDIANA PACERS
2023-24 finish
Offseason moves
Additions: James Wiseman, Johnny Furphy, Tristan Newton, Enrique Freeman
Subtractions: Jalen Smith, Doug McDermott
Complete roster
The Big Question: Was that a blip on the radar, or the beginning of something real?
Most of the offseason conversation about which Eastern team has the best shot at unseating the Celtics has focused on the Knicks and 76ers, following their respective big swings on the wing. But maybe we should spare a thought for the team that … y’know … actually played Boston in the conference finals?
It’s reasonable to harbor some skepticism about the Pacers repeating a playoff run that saw them beat a Bucks team missing Giannis Antetokounmpo (and, for two games, Damian Lillard) and a Knicks team that was a MASH unit by the end before getting swept by the Celtics. That framing gives Indiana short shrift, though.
Postseason injuries notwithstanding, the Pacers beat the Bucks four times in five regular-season tries, lighting them up to the tune of 122 points per 100 possessions. The Knicks ran out of gas because Indiana made them keep the pedal down, surviving Game 3 and staving off elimination in Game 6 before winning a road Game 7 behind the greatest team-wide shooting performance in NBA playoff history. And while Boston blanked them in the ECF, it’s worth noting that the Pacers led or were tied in the final minute in three of the four games. Even with a defense that couldn’t stop a nosebleed, and with All-NBA maestro Tyrese Haliburton missing the final two games, the Pacers were right there.
That only matters so much in a results-based business; as the prophet Dominic Toretto has told us, one man’s “almost had you” is another’s “never had your car.” But while the pessimist might look at the Pacers and see the 2020-21 Atlanta Hawks, about to backslide into imbalanced stasis, a more optimistic sort might see a team that made the final four despite…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/indiana-pacers-2024-25-season-preview-dont-forget-about-this-potential-juggernaut-in-the-east-162254529.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-10-08 16:22:54
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