Pacers Named on Short-List of Teams Predicted to Make NBA Finals This Year

Despite popular opinion, the Pacers are one of the few teams on this list to make the Finals next season.

Jun 16, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives to the basket past Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams (34) during the fourth quarter in game five of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers surprised everyone when they made the NBA Finals last season. No one expected them to get there, despite having made the Eastern Conference Finals the year before.

Indiana came just two quarters away from winning it all, despite Tyrese Haliburton tearing his Achilles tendon just seven minutes into Game 7 of the Finals. Now, he will miss all of next year.

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Most pundits don't give the Pacers a chance to compete for a title next season without Haliburton. Not everyone is so down about Indiana's chances to make the Finals in 2026.

Some NBA experts believe the Pacers will make the NBA Finals

According to a poll of NBA experts from ESPN, some experts believe the Pacers will make the Finals for the second year in a row. They believe that the Pacers will be able to weather the storm without Haliburton.

It's a pretty bold prediction to believe that the Pacers will win the East again without their best player. That means that these experts must have a lot of faith in Pascal Siakam.

Siakam is going to be the focal point of the offense next season with Haliburton on the sidelines. He was the lone All-Star that the Pacers had last season, and was their most consistent player.

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Andrew Nembhard will be the new starting point guard with Haliburton out. He will be given the keys to the offense, so he will be in charge of creating shots for everyone else.

NBA experts believe the Pacers will figure out the center position

If Indiana is going to make the Finals again, it will have to make sure that it figures out the center position. These experts believe that they will.

There are three centers who will fight for playing time, with Tony Bradley likely on the outside looking in for actual minutes. Isaiah Jackson, James Wiseman, and Jay Huff are the three guys who will be battling for minutes.

The Pacers will have to figure out which center is going to be the starting center and which one will get the backup minutes. If they can do that, they might have a shot to make the Finals for the second year in a row.

For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, visit Indiana Pacers on SI.