The Indiana Pacers have been one of the more competitive teams in the Eastern Conference in recent years, but they've never been able to make noise in the playoffs. The Pacers fired Nate Bjorkgren after a disappointing 2020-21  season and made a splashy head coaching hire by bringing back Rick Carlisle. Carlisle has the track record to make Indy competitive, and there is legitimate talent on this roster led by Domantas Sabonis. Rookie revelation Chris Duarte has been a fantastic scorer so far, a huge plus.

Unfortunately, the Pacers have been rather depleted by injuries, which has played a role in them starting 1-6 under Carlisle in the 2021-22 season. But even with this disastrous 1-6 start, here are three reasons why Pacers fans should remain optimistic.

3 reasons to not count out Pacers

Caris LeVert is back!

Caris LeVert was a brilliant acquisition by Indiana in the four-team James Harden deal, as his ability to facilitate and score at the 2-guard position is a phenomenal asset for their franchise. He sustained a short-term back injury before the season, but he was able to suit up against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.

LeVert instantly scored 15 points in 16 minutes and chipped in two assists and two steals in his season debut. He will need some time to get his rhythm back, but a healthy LeVert is a big-time player who can score and create plays for his teammates.

Nonetheless, LeVert still must actually stay healthy. He has dealt with a number of health issues, including a scary cancer surgery last season.

3 of their losses were by 1 possession

Despite the atrocious first seven games, the positive sight to see for the organization is how their losses were just due to end-game execution. With LeVert's comeback and Malcolm Brogdon's return in the next few games, there will be two individuals who have proven to convert shots in the final seconds of a game.

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For instance, their last loss to the Raptors was an immense opportunity to win that game because Toronto missed some crucial free throws and committed unnecessary turnovers. However, the Pacers were forced into a long heave by Sabonis to try to tie the game at the buzzer. Other losses to the Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Miami Heat could have gone either way, thus Carlisle and his squad must continue competing and eventually rack up some wins.

Slow start by key pieces

Myles Turner has always been a solid player, but he hasn't quite developed into the offensive player many hoped. While Turner had a terrific 40-point performance against the Wizards, he has not been able to follow it up with consistent production. There have been rumors about splitting up the Turner-Sabonis deal for some time, but there's a lot of two-way talent there and Indy shouldn't give up on them yet.

LeVert has just played a total of one game this season as he continues to get into game shape. T.J. Warren still has no timetable to return, but his scoring prowess would be a welcome sight for their team. Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday could still elevate their scoring to another level as proven by their play in the prior seasons. Additionally, T.J. McConnell, Holiday and Turner will also improve on their defensive awareness, because Indiana is just 23rd in defensive rating this season.

With the Pacers losing to the Wizards in the second play-in game last season, there is still a likely chance for them to replicate that kind of success. There's still a long way to go for them to boost their place in the standings, but they must also realize that the Eastern Conference has vastly improved from the previous seasons.