Former MVP Believes Pacers Can Make Another Run to NBA Finals

When Steve Nash was forced to pick one Eastern Conference team other than the New York Knicks to reach the NBA Finals, the two-time MVP didn't much time to think.

"My nostalgia, my sentimentality says the Pacers," Nash said during an appearance on The Zach Lowe Show. "I would love to see the Pacers."

It might have started with sentimentality, but Nash quickly laid out why another run to the NBA Finals isn't out of the question for Indiana.

The biggest variable is Tyrese Haliburton.

"First, Hali(burton) needs to be flying by the playoffs, which I think is totally in play for him," Nash said.

Haliburton's return from the torn Achilles he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals has been the biggest storyline surrounding Indiana entering the season. How quickly he can regain his All-NBA form could ultimately determine the Pacers' ceiling.

But Haliburton isn't the only quesiton.

Indiana has reshaped its frontcourt with Ivica Zubac, giving Rick Carlisle a traditional center whose size, rebound and interior presence are different from what the Pacers have featured in recent years.

"They have to figure out Zu's relationship with the team, which I think is totally in play for them," Nash said. "I think he's an excellent player and will help them. I', not worried about his spacing issues."

Nash pointed to the different ways Zubac can impact Indiana's offense without needing to stretch beyond the the 3-point line, referencing his ability to screen, operate in dribble handoffs and create opportunities for others.

The former Phoenix Suns star also highlighted another ingredient that made Indiana so dangerous during its previous postseason run: the bench.

"T.J. McConnell needs to get back to his best," Nash said. "And then getting some of these other guys to kind of find their roles as they did. That bench mob was fantastic, how they were able to speed the game up, force turnovers, get in transition."

Finding the next version of that group will be critical. Indiana's identity has been built around pace, pressure and depth, allowing Calrilse to turn games chaotic when opponents would rather slow them down.

"Who will that be for them going forward?" Nash asked. "In my heart, I would love to see the Indiana Pacers get back to that place."

That's when the conversation shifted from basketball analysis to what another Pacers Finals run would represent.

"There is nothing more tragic than (this) underdog story," Nash said. "Honestly, I think (it's) one of the greatest stories in professional sports, but we don't really talk about it anymore because they lost."

As many of you all know, Indiana came within one victory of its first NBA Championship. Instead Game 7 became one of the most painful nights in the franchise's history.

"They lost in Game 7 where their best player tore his Achilles and made three out of four threes to start the game and some from another area code," Nash said. "So a very, very, very tragic end for them."

Lowe questioned if Nash had allowed his heart to completely overrule his head with this selection.

"Yeah, hopefully my head is in there as well," Nash responded. "But yeah, they've got some things to prove, I think."

They certainly do.

The Eastern Conference is loaded, and there will be no easy road back to the Finals. Indiana will have to prove that Haliburton can return to superstar form, that Zubac can elevate the team's ceiling and that a reshaped supporting cast can recreate the speed and connectivity that made the Pacers so difficult to eliminate.

But that's also what could make this one of the greatest redemption stories the NBA has ever witnessed.

Imgaine Haliburton returning from an Achiiles tear suffered on the biggest stage imaginable, taking the Pacers through a stacked East and leading Indiana to its first NBA championship in franchise history two years later.

And waiting on the other side could make the story even better.

Perhaps it's San Antonio, one of the NBA's elite teams, standing between Indiana and history. Or maybe it's Oklahoma City again, giving Haliburton and the Pacers a chance to finish against the same opponent they ultimately couldn't overcome in 2025.

A Pacers-Thunder rematch, with Haliburton healthy and Indiana getting another opportunity to rewrite the ending of Game 7, almost sounds too perfectly scripted.

Nash's pick might be fueled partially by his heart. But if Haliburton and the Pacers somehow finish the story this time, it could become one of the most unforgettable championship runs the NBA has ever seen.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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