Pacers prominent players have shown positive growth in spite of lost season

Midseason grades for some of Indiana's key figures

Jan 12, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) celebrates a made basket with teammates in the second half against the Boston Celtics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

At the halfway mark of the season, the Indiana Pacers are 9-32 and have the 2nd worst record in the NBA. Indiana has missed a combined 217 games this season due to injury.

There have been 24 players on Indiana's roster this season, and 23 different starting lineups. It's been weird, it's been challenging, but it might just be the blessing in disguise that helps get this team back to the NBA Finals. Let's give midseason grades!

Pascal Siakam - A+

Dec 8, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43)celebrates a made basket in the second half against the Sacramento Kings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Pascal Siakam has had a sensational year. His usage rate is the highest it's ever been in his career and he's seeing the floor shrink almost every time he touches the basketball. Despite all the attention he is drawing offensively, he is still averaging 23.5 points per game, which is the second-highest of his career.

Rick Carlisle has advocated on multiple occasions that he should be voted in as an All-Star and deserves recognition for the incredible season he's having, despite the Indiana Pacers' overall record. Siakam has had at least 3 game-winning shots this season, and has 2 in the last 4 games against Charlotte and Boston.

Andrew Nembhard - A

Dec 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard/forward Andrew Nembhard (2) in the second half against the Boston Celtics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

With Tyrese Haliburton out for the entire season, the Pacers have given the point guard responsibilities to Andrew Nembhard. Indiana is accustomed to playing with two ball handlers on the floor at all times, but they've routinely stuck to just one point guard on the floor this season.

Nembhard has taken advantage of that, averaging a career high in points per game with 17.5, in assists per game with 7.1, and shooting a career high from 3 at 37%.

It isn't just the offense that Nembhard is responsible for, but he is still being asked to defend the opposing team's best guard/wing every night. With so much on his shoulders, Rick Carlisle said "he will get better from this experience" and I expect it to pay huge dividends when this roster is fully healthy next season.

Bennedict Mathurin - B

Nov 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) brings the ball up court during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

If I could give a grade of incomplete I would. It's a shame that we haven't been able to see Bennedict Mathurin at full strength with a mostly healthy roster. Mathurin has missed 17 games due to a toe injury he suffered in the second game of the season and a hand injury that has kept him sidelined since January 4th.

Benn is averaging a career high in points with 17.8 per game. He is shooting a career low from the field at 42.3% and 2PT% at 47.1%. Haliburton's injury has allowed him to start in every game he has been healthy in, and the increased role has caused him to see tougher defensive matchups, which impacts his efficiency. 

In 24 games, Mathurin has scored 20 points or more in 10 of them. He dropped a season-high 36 points on opening night against the Oklahoma City Thunder and looked like a man on a mission. If he had not injured his toe in the following game in Memphis who knows what this season would look like for him?

Jarace Walker - C

Oct 29, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) brings the ball up court against the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Walker is one of only two Pacers (Jay Huff is the other) to play in every single game this season. He is shooting a career low from the field, from two, and from three. He was starting early on in the season with all of the injuries but wasn't playing well enough to continue starting.

During the Pacers early season west coast road trip he lost his starting spot to Jeremiah Robinson-Earl who was just signed to a 10-day hardship exception contract. Anytime you lose your starting spot to a player who was signed to be here temporarily, it raises a fair number of questions.

With that being said, now that Jarace has settled into a bench role and the team has gotten healthier, his last 10 games are a sign that things are turning in the right direction for him. He is averaging 8.9 points per game in 19 minutes while shooting a terrific 57.6% from three and 49.2% from the field.

Rick Carlisle - A

Oct 25, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle looks on against the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Rick Carlisle reached 1,000 wins after a 13-game losing streak against the Hornets on January 8th. With a résumé like Carlisle's, it's hard to put any blame for this season on him. He's experimented with several lineups and has not used the numerous injuries this team has suffered as an excuse for the team's overall record. We've seen growth from several players this season, and I give Rick and his staff a ton of credit for that.

You can follow all me on Twitter @AlexGoldenNBA and checkout my daily Indiana Pacers podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcast.