Indiana Pacers take next step toward playoffs
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Tyrese Haliburton enters the new season with a max contract. Photo: Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
It's time for the Indiana Pacers to grow up.
Driving the news: The Pacers open a new season against the Washington Wizards at 7pm Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
State of play: The Pacers graduated from being one of the NBA's worst teams two seasons ago (25-57) to middling losers last year (35-47) and handed out some big-money contracts over the summer on top of adding a top-10 draft pick.
What's old: Rick Carlisle is back to coach his third season of his second stint with the Pacers and he's got a happy star player.
- Tyrese Haliburton signed a five-year, $260 million max contract extension, making the All-Star guard a long-term foundation.
- The Pacers also signed forward Aaron Nesmith to a $33 million extension through the 2026-27 season.
What's new: Indiana drafted forward Jarace Walker at No. 8 overall, adding a defensive wizard who will have time and space to develop his game on offense.
- The Pacers also acquired 25-year-old forward Obi Toppin, the No. 8 draft pick from 2020, in a trade with the New York Knicks.
- They gave a two-year, $45 million contract to Bruce Brown, who won a championship with the Denver Nuggets last season.
The intrigue: Signing Brown is a big gamble considering he has never been a full-time NBA starter.
- The team believes in Brown's potential, sure, but the large contract shows how hard it is to rebuild in a market that doesn't attract star free agents.
The big picture: The Pacers still lack the talent to compete for a full season on the level of the Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, and they remain in the league's bottom third for gambling odds to win a championship.
Between the lines: Whatever the Pacers do, it's likely to get little attention, with limited TV exposure and light ticket sales.
- The Pacers' TV partner, Bally Sports, faces implosion as operator Diamond Sports Group works through bankruptcy proceedings and other legal battles, per ESPN.
- Bally is absent from popular streaming providers, including YouTube TV, which means many people can't watch the Pacers without subscribing to a $20-a-month Bally Sports streaming package.
Meanwhile, national TV won't be an option as the Pacers have just one scheduled game (Jan. 30 vs. Boston on TNT).
Be smart: The collective disinterest in the Pacers works to your advantage, if you like attending basketball games.
- Soft demand for tickets means the Pacers offer the second-cheapest in-person experience in the NBA for a family of four, per Bookies.com.
- You can purchase tickets, parking, food and drinks for as little as $163.45, compared to a league average of more than $300, the site found.
The bottom line: The Pacers are likely worth the price of admission.
- A 40ish-win season seems doable — and the Pacers could even sneak into the playoffs in a best-case scenario.