Grading the Indiana Pacers' season entering the All-Star break

The Pacers are No. 14 in the East at 15-40.

Jan 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Eight months ago, the Indiana Pacers were playing in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, they are at the bottom of the East at 15-40, largely due to myriad injuries, namely to star guard Tyrese Haliburton. How would our team grade their season up to this point? Here's what they had to say!

Jeremy Brener:

The Indiana Pacers have hit rock bottom, but they have handled it in arguably the best way any team could. They have set themselves up for the future with Ivica Zubac as their starting center and should look to add a top prospect in the NBA Draft. While the on-court product has been atrocious and far worse than anyone probably could have expected, things could definitely be worse for the Pacers.

Grade: D

Tony Mejia:

The Pacers are among the NBA's worst teams, which is better than hovering around .500 with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined. Getting Ivica Zubac sets them up for a great runnext season if the Pacers can hang on to their first-round pick, which is made more and more likely as the losses pile up. They're making some sour lemonade in Indy, but it beats dying of thirst.

Feb 6, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks center Jericho Sims (00) in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Grade: C-

Major Passons:

The Pacers were not expected to compete this season after Haliburton would be out all year and then they lost their starting Center to their rivals in free agency. I would rate their season as a B so far. The reason they get this grade has nothing to do with on the court, that has been expected, awful. They get a jump up because of the acquisition of Zubac, who will pair nicely with Haliburton once he returns.

Grade: B

Matt Hanifan:

The Pacers have officially bottomed out, but they find themselves in a pretty unique position. I didn't expect the reigning Eastern Conference champions to be this bad without star guard Tyrese Haliburton, but it's also not the worst thing in the world. Andrew Nembhard, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson and Johnny Furphy, among others, have received a plethora of developmental opportunities. They also acquired Ivica Zubac, a perfect fit alongside Haliburton, at the deadline. And they are likely going to acquire a loaded draft class -- let's hope the pick doesn't fall between 5-9! It's not all bad, despite the losses piling up on the court.

Grade: D+