Indiana Pacers on pace for unfortunate NBA record

The team has the fewest wins, but it also leads the league in a bad category.

Indiana Pacers Head Coach Rick Carlisle looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers are 6-29 through 35 games this season, resulting in the league's worst record.

However, there is another record that Bleach Report writer Grant Hughes pointed out that the Pacers don't want to be a part of either.

"The Memphis Grizzlies used a record 33 different players in 2023-24, a result of myriad injuries. That's not the kind of mark most teams want to chase, but this year's Indiana Pacers are in hot pursuit anyway," Hughes wrote.

"Through less than half of 2025-26, Indy has cycled through a league-high 23 different bodies. Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam have been relative pillars of reliability, each starting at least 20 times. Indy's injury-driven revolving door shows up in another stat: Fifteen different players have logged at least one night in the first unit, including guys like Garrison Mathews, who wasn't even on the roster to begin the season.

"Everyone knew the Pacers were in for a difficult season without Tyrese Haliburton running the show, but nobody could have foreseen such a "when it rains, it pours" injury situation. At least Indiana has a chance to set a record of some kind, undesirable as this one may be."

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam in the first half against the Orlando Magic. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Pacers could play most players in NBA season

It's hard to win basketball games when injuries are ravaging the roster, and the Pacers are forced to play with people who might not get a chance on other teams. However, they are doing the best they can with what they have been dealt, and this is the result of those troubles.

All the Pacers can do is recover from these injuries as much as possible and try to do the best with the players that are healthy on the court. It may look like a G League team at times, especially later in the season, but the Pacers will do their best to retool in the offseason, grab a potential superstar in a loaded 2026 NBA draft class, and pick up the pieces from there.

These hard times could help build character that will be needed for the 2026-27 campaign and beyond.

In the meantime, the Pacers are heading to the Sunshine State to take on Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET inside the Kia Center in Orlando. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.