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We’re now two months into the NBA season and the fans are starting to get an idea about how things might play out or which teams will battle in the playoffs. Despite that being true in the Western Conference, the Eastern Conference remains as a question mark at this stage.
Apart from the Bucks, no team has shown themselves as second favourites.
Simply because they keep surprising the league, the Pacers are proven to be one of the overachievers.
In their last game before Christmas, they held serve on their home court with an overtime win against the Toronto Raptors coming from a 5-1 run where they snapped LeBron James’ and the Lakers’ 12-game winning streak.
How far will the Pacers go?
That’s what we’re about to find out as we go over this team and analyze their chances.
The Indiana Pacers are currently 23-15 sitting at the 6th seed in the East and they get credit for doing it without their All-Star Victor Oladipo.
Which players are stepping up and take over in the absence of Oladipo?
Malcolm Brogdon has been superb. After a very efficient season with the Bucks, he switched clubs and came to Indiana where we started to see his breakout level.
He’s averaging 18.7 points and 7.6 assists per game while shooting efficiently – 46% from the field and 35% from three with an incredible 93% from the free-throw line. Being the first or second option has allowed Brogdon to play at All-Star level, and it seems like he could make his first All-Star appearance if he can keep his excellent form to reach 20+ points and 8 assists average.
Fair to say, he’s the key part in holding their winning record.
Another player who’s broke out this season for the Pacers is Domantas Sabonis. His play so far has been fantastic, scoring efficiently from the inside while dominating the boards. He’s averaging 18 points and 13.5 rebounds per game which is a big jump from last season where he recorded 14 points and 9 rebounds per game. Sabonis has been a massive part of the team’s success and he’s a force to be reckon in the Pacers front-court.
It will be no surprise to see him selected for All-NBA.
The third man in the Pacers flying wheel is T.J. Warren.
The Phoenix Suns made a very bad decision on draft night by trading him for straight up cash which has totally backfired. He’s becoming one of the more underrated scorers in the league.
After joining the Pacers, Warren started to shine and became one of the main {acers players to watch out for.
In 32 minutes of action per night, Warren is averaging 18 points per game and shooting 50% from the field along with 37% from 3. His scoring impact has been extremely helpful for this Pacers team, making the Suns regret trading him every game.
Thanks to these players, the Pacers are holding a top 8 spot in the East. Considering where they are now, I see them as a legitimate threat for their Eastern Conference opponents.
How far they can go?
In my opinion, they will finish in the top 5 teams in the Eastern Conference playoff table if things continue on this trajectory. If there’s a team that will pull an upset, it will be the Pacers, especially considering that Oladipo will be back in the lineup.
Their success remains to be seen, but keep an eye on them, it should be an interesting few months.
