What Grade Did Pacers Get to Start the Season?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Dec 10, 2024 2:08 PM ET

After making the Eastern Conference Finals last season, the Indiana Pacers brought back largely the same roster and expected to run it back. Was losing Jalen Smith to the Chicago Bulls really going to have a massive effect on their success this year? Probably not, but the wheels have fallen off the bus.

At 10-15, the Pacers have the same record as the lowly Detroit Pistons. They failed to win an NBA Cup game after coming in second last season, and the magical playoff run last year looks to be nothing more than a fluke.

According to The Athletic's most recent weekly power ranking, Indiana dropped to the 22nd spot in the NBA and their first-quarter effort received a D grade.

"They upset New York in a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden to advance to the Eastern Conference finals," wrote Law Murray. "They brought everyone back. And all of that momentum is gone. Their offense isn’t special anymore."

The Pacers remained bad on defense and regressed significantly on offense. Pascal Siakam has been solid, but the volume hasn't been there, and Tyrese Haliburton looks like a shell of himself. Myles Turner, once seen as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, does little to impact the game aside from blocking the occasional shot, and his single-rebound effort in a recent loss to the Charlotte Hornets demonstrates everything wrong with the energy in Indianapolis.

Granted, Indiana is decimated by injuries to James Wiseman, Isaiah Jackson, Ben Sheppard, and Aaron Nesmith, but their puzzling decision to waive backup center Moses Brown and ravage their depth even further leaves a lot of questions to be answered. Unless they make a trade soon, the season is already over.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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