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The Indiana Pacers just had one of their most memorable seasons as of late. Entering the playoffs as a sixth seed, the team managed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in a decade. They also ended a postseason drought that started in 2021, much to the delight of Indianapolis sports fans. Ahead of the upcoming season, there's surely nothing more that fans would want than to end the wait and see their favorite team on the floor again.
The good news is that the new schedule is out, meaning fans can mark their calendars and make predictions, such as when the wins could possibly pile up. But is it as easy as associating powerhouse opponents with losses and weaker adversaries with wins? After all, this is a much different Indiana team now. Gone are the days when the Pacers were just a run-of-the-mill squad. With series victories over heavyweights such as the Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks last year, the Pacers begin a new campaign as one of the more unpredictable teams in the East.
Yes, the doubters will still cite injuries to the Bucks and the Knicks during the playoffs, but injuries are part of the game. And how can one simply brush off a Pacers team that led the league in scoring (123.3 PPG), field goal percentage (50.7%), and assists (30.8 APG) last season? It would be unwise to count them out from now on.
With how everything looks at the moment, here are some bold predictions for the team in the coming season.
Tyrese Haliburton averages 23 and 11
Two-time All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist — these are just some of the phrases to describe Tyrese Haliburton, who's coming off his best season yet. Last year, Haliburton led the team with a double-double of 20.1 points and 10.9 assists per game while shooting 36.4% from three-point range. In fact, before the All-Star break, Haliburton was dishing out 11.7 assists an outing. His ability to both score and facilitate produced winning results for the Pacers, earning him a position as a starter during the All-Star game
Besides a strong playoff showing, Haliburton's Team USA stint in the Olympics only adds to his growth. He may not have played as much as Pacers fans would've wanted, but being alongside the NBA's best, in addition to getting exposure on the international stage was definitely a boost to the point guard's development.
Haliburton will enter the upcoming season with the same group of teammates, meaning that no obstacles stand in the way of his progression. It won't be surprising to see him up his scoring to around 23 or 24 PPG while keeping his assists at around 11 per game.
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Andrew Nembhard increases his scoring average to 13 PPG
Remember the Pacers' Game 3 clash vs. the Knicks months ago? If so, then it won't be hard to recall how Andrew Nembhard sank the biggest shot of his career. Tied at 106-all, Nembhard's step-back three gave Indiana their first win of the series. He became a noticeable figure in the playoffs, averaging almost 15 PPG on 56% shooting after tallying just 9.2 PPG during the regular season. Furthermore, he was part of Canada's Olympic team in Paris, seeing action as a key rotational player.
With Bennedict Matthurin recovering from injury, Nembhard won't have any competitors for that starting two spot this offseason. One could argue that Matthurin has a higher ceiling offensively. However, what makes Nembhard a perfect backcourt partner to Haliburton is his two-way play. Nembhard's defense on opposing guards has been a difference-maker for the Pacers time and time again. He's also shown that he can create with the ball in his hands. There's no telling if he can consistently showcase his playoff form through 82 games next season, but Nembhard's scoring will arguably rise, possibly to around 13 points per game this coming season.
Final thoughts: Development among young core players is key
The roster remains the same, but the Pacers might just claim a higher seeding this time around. While there are major dents in their armor that still need fixing — such as rebounding (41.5 RPG, 28th in the league) and overall team defense (120.2 opponent PPG, 27th) — continuous development is expected not just from Haliburton and Nembhard, but from the likes of Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin and Ben Sheppard. Plus there's Pascal Siakam, who'll be playing his first full season with the team after signing a four-year max deal. To put it another way, it all boils down to how far the youngsters will make strides this offseason and throughout the 82-game period.
Fans will get to see the Pacers in action once again when they go against the Detroit Pistons on October 23, at 7:00 pm EDT.
