Pacers Already Using Power Rankings as Motivation Heading Into Next Season

The Indiana Pacers are used to being counted out. Despite a run to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, no one expected them to make another run this season.

That's exactly what they did, making it all the way to Game 7 of the NBA Finals before ultimately falling to the Thunder. It's pretty clear that they thrive on being the underdogs.

With Tyrese Haliburton being ruled out for the entirety of next season with a torn Achilles, the Pacers are being counted out again. They're already using it for motivation.

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Rick Carlisle has already let it be known that the Pacers are using everyone's doubt as fuel for next season.

"It’s going to present a great opportunity in some form. I saw a thing today where they had us ranked 20th or 21st in the league going into next year. That’s good motivation. So we’ll have a chance to have a real opportunity to help develop some guys in some real quality minutes. And we’re trying to win."

The Eastern Conference is still going to be relatively weak next season. The Pacers feel as though they can still make some noise, even without Haliburton and Myles Turner.

All they need to do is make the playoffs, and anything can happen. The Pacers just made the Finals as a four-seed this season, and made the Eastern Conference Finals as a six-seed last year.

While their offense isn't going to have the same level of pace to it without Haliburton, it still is going to be a very tough offense to stop. Their depth is going to allow them to stay in a lot of games.

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There is little doubt among Pacers fans that they will outplay the expectation of being either the 20th or 21st best team in the NBA. They are too good not to make the playoffs.

Unfortunately, they can't survive any more injuries to the guard spot next season without Haliburton. They don't have other point guards behind Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell.

Count the Pacers out at your own risk. That's the message Carlisle is sending heading into next year.

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