As the Indiana Pacers prepare for the upcoming season, no significant roster tweaks have occurred. The team seems to be content with retaining last year's core group, as emphasized by several major contract extensions. Not that there's anything wrong with it — Indiana was a formidable contender last year. Entering the playoffs as a sixth seed, many didn't expect them to make it far into the postseason. However, the Pacers defied expectations, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2014.
There were many factors that contributed to this. From Tyrese Haliburton's all-around play to Pascal Siakam's scoring, to role players stepping up and to the team's fast-paced style of basketball, Indiana utilized their strengths to the fullest. Rick Carlisle looks to have found the right formula for his roster, and the numbers paint a good picture of how it all went down.
The 2023-24 Indiana Pacers
Last season, the Pacers led the entire league in scoring and field goal percentage with 123.3 points per game on 50.7% shooting. When they were on the floor, they ran…and they ran fast. Indiana had the second-highest PACE at 102.16. For more context, the PACE stat measures the number of possessions a team gets per 48 minutes, indicating the speed at which they play. Furthermore, the Pacers were fourth in the league in fastbreak points (16.6 per game) and third in points off turnovers (17.7 per game, tied with the Philadelphia 76ers).
Their outside shooting also helped a lot. The Pacers ranked third in three-pointers made per game (12.2), and their efficiency (37.2%) was the fourth-best in the league. Whether it was Haliburton, Myles Turner, or Aaron Nesmith, the team was usually lights out from downtown.
With what they showed last year, it's no surprise the Pacers' front office hasn't touched the roster. While one could worry about how the team might remain stagnant, — since of course, no changes means that their flaws last year could manifest again — there are a number of reasons why the Pacers may very well be a more improved squad this coming season.
Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam: A dynamic duo
To start off, there's Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, the team's two stars. They'll be leading the Pacers once again, and there's a high possibility that they'll elevate their play to the next level, as good as they already are.
Looking at Haliburton first, the point guard finished last season as the NBA's assist leader, dishing out 10.9 dimes a game, per StatMuse. It's easy for a lot of guys to play off the ball with Haliburton at the point. Just move without the rock, run in transition, or stay in the right spots — Haliburton will eventually notice and make that pass. His playmaking ability was the biggest reason why Indiana also led the league in assists with 30.8 per game. And to complement his passing, Haliburton also put up 20.1 points per game, a testament to how much he can score at will as well.
Haliburton is only 24 years old, meaning that the 6-foot-5 guard is still expected to improve. And this past month certainly provided an experience that helped with his development. Playing alongside America's best, Haliburton took home a gold medal with Team USA in the Paris Olympics. With exposure on the international stage, it won't be surprising to see Haliburton take his play to another level this year.
Moving on to Pascal Siakam, the forward was involved in a mid-season trade that sent him over to Indiana. It didn't hinder his production though. In 41 regular season games with the Pacers, Siakam put up 21.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Those averages remained the same throughout the playoffs, something that Siakam isn't new to.
What could possibly propel him to produce more this season? Chemistry. With a full offseason to prepare, Siakam's familiarity with his teammates (and vice versa) will undoubtedly grow, allowing for more quality play. It can also be noted that Rick Carlisle may have used the summer to make playbook adjustments that will even be more beneficial for the forward. Nevertheless, Carlisle did quite an impressive job in utilizing Siakam from the get-go last season.
Young, improving role players
Surrounding Haliburton and Siakam are relatively young role players, some of which had their shining moments last season. Names such as Andrew Nembhard (24 years old), Aaron Nesmith (24 years old) Bennedict Mathurin (22 years old), Obi Toppin (26 years old) and Ben Sheppard (23 years old) were all key to the Pacers' run. With years of basketball ahead of them, the only way to go is up. These players are expected to keep developing, and there have already been promising signs, such as Nesmith's three-ball improvement and Nembhard's playoff production.
In addition, Indiana just drafted Tristan Newton, another young player with a good ceiling. Newton is fresh off a National Championship with UConn, and his selection gives Rick Carlisle more backcourt weapons to work with.
With vets such as Myles Turner and TJ McConnell guiding the youngsters, the future is bright for the Pacers.
Lingering issues and final prediction
While this all sounds nice, Indiana still has problems to solve, such as how they'll improve their defense and rebounding. The Pacers give up plenty of opponent points in general (120.2 per game), and their rebounding issues were highlighted during the playoff series against the New York Knicks, when they allowed the likes of 6-foot-4 Josh Hart to haul down boards left and right.
Defensively, players such as Nesmith, Nembhard and McConnell show grit when guarding perimeter scorers. Myles Turner has been protecting the rim as well. However, the numbers still tell a grim story, meaning that more impact is needed from the team overall. The addition of Bruce Brown does help, but it will take more than just one player to change the results.
As for the rebounding conundrum, the addition of James Wiseman brings more size to the frontcourt. Still, Wiseman isn't really known for crashing the glass (5.3 RPG), and concerns still arise regarding his health. Coach Carlisle surely has fixes in mind for these issues, but it looks like fans will have to wait until October to see what's in store.
Until the Pacers show major improvement where they need it, it's hard to forecast a major leap. They'll be a playoff team, nevertheless, finishing the regular season a bit higher than they did previously.
Prediction: 49-33
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