Power Ranking 8 teams under more or less pressure than the Miami Heat to win a championship
By Brennan Sims
7. Indiana Pacers
37-29
1.7 NetRtg
Once the number one offense for a large chunk of the year, the Indiana Pacers have tapered off since mid-January. It's hilarious that their "tapering off" has them sitting at number two with a world-breaking 121 points per 100 possessions.
Tyrese Haliburton has established himself as a superstar in the making. He's leading the league in assists (11.3). From his in-season tournament run to leading the Eastern Conference guards in All-Star voting, Haliburton will become a household name.
Bennedict Mathurin is a promising scorer who's out for the year with a shoulder injury. That hurts their playoff chances, even though they weren't going to make a ton of noise to begin with. This playoff run is about keeping Pascal Siakam satisfied.
Siakam's trade to the Pacers was the major deal during trade deadline season. Indiana mortgaged part of its future to ensure it landed a stud like Siakam. After this season, he's a free agent, and the Pacers look to retain him. He and Haliburton will develop into a nice one-two punch with more time.
There's no pressure for the Pacers to win now. It'll be interesting to see Haliburton in a playoff setting. He's a wizard in transition, and seeing his process when the game slows down will be *fun.*