The surprise 2020 Indiana Pacers are contenders, but to fully understand the story of this squad, you need to first take a trip back to a devastating night about a year ago.
In a January 23rd game vs the Toronto Raptors during the 2018-19 season, disaster struck for the Indiana Pacers organization. With 4:05 left in the 2nd quarter, All-Star guard Victor Oladipo crashed to the ground while attempting to defend a driving Pascal Siakam. The piercing scream of sheer agony was easily heard through the broadcast and haunts Pacers fans to this day.
The Recovery
Later that week, the team announced that Oladipo suffered a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee and needed season-ending surgery. This would begin a disheartening stretch of Dipo’s career. With a year-long recovery standing in his way, he had to watch the rest of the 2019 season and playoffs from home. Indiana clawed their way into a five seed before being swept with all games being decided by 10 points or less.
“Let’s just say it was emotional. It was so hard. It makes you appreciate the game more, your teammates more, even yourself more.” – Victor Oladipo
Before the series, I was planning on buying a Pacers jersey of my own. Thankfully though, I was quickly reminded that it would be a choking hazard. In all four playoff contests, Indiana had a lead going into the break and then went through ice-cold stretches in the latter half of the game. They seemed to be missing a go-to scorer, a leader. The missing piece: Victor Oladipo.
Pacers Offseason of Contenders
Free Agent/Trade Acquisitions
- Malcolm Brogdon: 4-year, $85 million
- Sign and trade with the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for a lottery-protected 2020 first-round pick, and second-round picks from 2021 and 2025.
- T.J. Warren: 4-year, $47 million
- Acquired via a three-team trade alongside Miami Heat’s second-round picks from 2022, 2025, and 2026 in exchange for cash ($1.1 million) to the Suns. Currently in the second year of the contract.
- T.J. McConnell: 2-year, $7 million
- Signed in free agency.
- Jeremy Lamb: 3-year, $31.5 million
- Signed in free agency
- Edmond Sumner: 3-year, $6.48 million
- Re-signed using early-bird rights. Third-year team option.
- Justin Holiday: 1-year, $4.77 million
- Signed using room exception.
- Goga Bitadze: Rookie deal
- Drafted with the 18th overall pick.
Departures
Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collison (retired), Tyreke Evans (drugs), Cory Joseph, Wesley Matthews, Kyle O’Quinn, Davon Reed, and Thaddeus Young.
Pacers Becoming Contenders
After winning 48 games in somewhat impressive back-to-back campaigns, veteran coach Nate McMillian knew he had the talent for more. Bringing in an always improving Malcolm Brogdon, one of the most consistent wing players in T.J. Warren, and an underappreciated Jeremy Lamb has provided coach McMillian with new firepower to work with. With first-round draft pick Goga Bitadze manning the back-up center position and Victor Oladipo eyeing a January return, there was only one pressing matter on coach McMillian’s plate: getting Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner to mesh on the court. After a slow start, which involved losing the first 3 games of the season to the Pistons, Cavaliers, and the Pistons again, Sabonis and Turner have started to figure it out. The paring has upped their +/- rating to +7.1 points per 100 possessions as of this writing.
Indiana’s growing core has managed to shoot the ball with effective accuracy, currently sitting at 11th in collective field goal percentage (49.6%). They also have played great team ball having the 6th most assists per game (25.9) while leading the league in turnovers per game (12.8). The Pacers also rank top 10 in defensive efficiency and opponent shooting percentage. If the eye test doesn’t float your boat, these numbers should definitely prove that, indeed, the Indiana Pacers are contenders.
Expectations
The question of, “Are the Pacers a true contender?“, can not be truly answered until we reach mid-April. That being said, for a team without its star, there is nothing more that can be expected. On January 29th the Indiana Pacers are set to square off with the Chicago Bulls at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. It is then that Oladipo will make his highly anticipated return from his year-long ruptured quad tendon injury. When that day finally comes, Oladipo plans to go ‘full throttle’.
I’m not gonna ease my way into anything,” Oladipo told Shams Charania of Watch Stadium. “I’m not gonna second-guess myself or try to take my time. I’m gonna go full throttle and I’m gonna be aggressive. I’m gonna go at dudes and I’m not gonna shy away from anything because that’s not who I am.”
Via Shams Charania of Watch Stadium
Coach Nate McMillian is expected to limit Oladipo’s minutes upon return. As Oladipo begins to work his way into his normal workload, Jeremy Lamb is expected to become the 6th man while McConnell, Sumner, and Holiday are expected to lose minutes.
The Pacers are currently sitting at a 26-15 record, good for fifth in the Eastern Conference. They are 9.5 games back of the top-seeded Bucks but only 2.5 games back of the two seed Miami Heat. In a two week span near the end of the season, the Pacers have pivotal games against the Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Celtics, and Miami Heat. This team is already good enough to get a home-court advantage playoff series, but with Oladipo coming back to town, don’t be surprised if come April 19th the Indiana Pacers sit only behind the almighty Giannis Antetokounmpo. And yes, this means the Pacers are a legitimate, and extremely dangerous, playoff contender.
1 Comment
Nice job, Andrew. If VO can mesh with the rest of the team, the Pacers will be a really tough out and might even give the Bucks a run for the Eastern Conference title.