Windhorst: “Knicks Have Bigger Fish to Fry Than the Pacers”

Despite having one of the most incredible playoff runs in 2025, the Indiana Pacers will have to prove themselves once again.

At least for one ESPN analyst who doesn’t believe the Pacers are in the same conversation with the elite of the East.

On Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst joined Tim MacMahon and Vincent Goodwill on a YouTube exclusive segment of Get Up.

Goodwill shared a viral clip from Tyrese Haliburton’s interview with Speedy Morant on the Boardroom Talks podcast, where he had this to say about the Knicks winning a championship:

"When the Knicks won, I thought to myself, 'I gotta turn this sh*t off.'"

Windhorst was asked if the Knicks winning a title adds anything to the Pacers-Knicks rivalry, and he quickly dismissed the Pacers.

“Honestly, I think from the Knicks perspective, they’ve got bigger fish to fry than the Pacers,” Windhorst said.

TJ JB — Mar 13, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This led to Windhorst rattling off a handful of teams that the Knicks have to worry about first before they even think about the Indiana Pacers.

“They’ve gotta worry about the Sixers. They’ve gotta worry about the Celtics. They’ve been obsessed with the Celtics the last couple of years,” Windhorst said. “They’ve gotta worry about the Spurs. They’ve gotta worry about the Thunder. The Knicks are hunting championships.”

It’s not surprising to see the Pacers being dismissed after a 19-63 season. And with questions surrounding how their best player will return from a torn Achilles, you can understand how it would be easy to sweep them under the rug.

If we take a step back and pull off the blue-and-gold-colored glasses, are we sure Windhorst is actually disrespecting the Pacers? Or is this a fair assessment of where they are at this current point?

May 31, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) reacts while defended by New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) in the third quarter during game six of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While reliving the best season in Indiana’s NBA history is fun to do, it has zero impact on how they handle business in the 2026-27 season.

This Pacers team was a torn Achilles away from likely winning a title in 2025, but with new additions of Zubac and Oubre Jr. --as well as Haliburton reaffirming he is still the elite point guard he was before getting injured-- the Pacers have a lot to prove.

Not just to the analysts like Windhorst, but to themselves.

The Knicks might have "bigger fish to fry", but they haven't beaten the Pacers in a playoff series since 1999. Sure, New York was a better team in 2026 than they were in 2024 or 2025, but the 2027 Pacers might be better than the previous teams that sent the Knicks home.

But before the Pacers get ahead of themselves, they have to use this year to remind everyone they still belong in the same discussion with the elite of the East.

We know this group is capable of great things, but now they have to go out and deliver on that potential.

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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