Brown: As drama builds in East, Pacers continue to rise
As soon as LeBron James decided to ditch Midwest winters for West Coast sunshine, the power dynamics of the Eastern Conference took a 180-degree spin.
The Toronto Raptors could finally bid farewell to their playoff villain and contend for a spot in the Finals. Possessing a magic mix of youth and stardom, both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics immediately entered into a new realm of expectations, one that includes conference finals and championship banners.
But in a league driven by superstars and plenty of drama, there is one Eastern Conference team that has been quietly, and consistently, rising to the top of the standings.
Flashback to last year’s NBA playoffs, before J.R. Smith forgot the score and the Houston Rockets went 0-of-27 on 3-pointers in a Game 7. In the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the LeBron-led Cavaliers were fighting for their lives against the Indiana Pacers.
New and improved Victor Oladipo was averaging 22.7 points per game and shooting over 40 percent from behind the arc. Bojan Bogdanovic showcased his physicality after being tasked with guarding James throughout the series (James still averaged 34 points per game). Against the more experienced Tristan Thompson, Myles Turner showcased his dynamic scoring abilities and proved at times to be a nightmare for the Cavaliers' lackadaisical defense.
While Cleveland needed an other-wordly performance by their superstar, Indiana relied on a balanced mix of scoring to stay within reach. With a unique medley of offensive players, combined with an aggressive defensive game plan and a whole lot of grit, the Pacers pushed the series to seven games and nearly sent James on an early vacation to the Caribbean. It was a forewarning for the rest of the league: the Indiana Pacers had arrived and they weren’t going anywhere.
During a typically busy offseason, the Pacers decided to build off what they had, rather than aggressively try and trade for another star to link up with Oladipo. With no changes made to their starting lineup from last season, they added depth by signing Doug McDermott and Tyreke Evans, both of whom have proven to be positive additions.
As All-Star break quickly approaches, Indiana currently holds the third spot in the East standings behind Toronto and Milwaukee. With impressive back-to-back wins over the Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks in December and the second-best defensive rating in the league, the Pacers are proving their legitimacy as playoff contenders.
Even with an injury that left Oladipo sidelined for several weeks, the Pacers went 7-4 and had six different scoring leaders throughout the 11-game stretch. As Olapido hopes to return to playoff form by April, Turner is in the midst of a superb season, leading the league in blocks per game and shooting a career-best 37 percent from three.
REASONS TO BELIEVE
There is reason for excitement in Indiana beyond the stats and the standings though. The Pacers, while underappreciated, possess something many teams don’t have: a lack of drama.
While the Celtics have a dominant scorer in Kyrie Irving, their younger stars have struggled to adjust to their role alongside of him. The potential duo of Irving and Gordon Hayward has been backtracked due to injury and both have yet to find a true rhythm while sharing the floor.
Philadelphia is dealing with a power struggle of their own as Jimmy Butler has decided to take his complaints to a different city this time around. The Butler/Ben Simmons/Joel Embiid combination is struggling to find any sort of fluidity and tempers are starting to flare.
Toronto is enjoying the NBA’s mountaintop but with Kyle Lowry's potentially nagging back injury and an impending Kawhi Leonard exit on the horizon, the Raptors have plenty about which to be concerned.
Amidst it all, the Pacers have found balance. They have a hungry and emerging star in Oladipo and a supporting cast of role players that continues to improve.
They play with a nothing-to-lose attitude and have proven they can deliver on both ends of the floor.
It might not be enough to outlast the scoring ability of Kyrie or even Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the quiet Pacers could most certainly make some playoff noise.
