LAST SEASON: 50-32, lost to Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals.
COACH: Rick Carlisle (ninth season with Pacers, 338-318; 24th season overall, 993-860).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 23 vs. Oklahoma City.
DEPARTURES: C
Myles Turner, C Thomas Bryant.
ADDITIONS: C Jay Huff, G Kam Jones, G Cam Payne.
BetMGM championship odds: 100-1.
The defending Eastern Conference champs won't be the same with two-time All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton expected to miss the entire season because of a torn Achilles tendon. But they're not fading way, either. Indiana has plenty of guard depth and an array of scorers. The larger problem may be replacing Turner, an elite rim protector and legitimate 3-point shooter. The Pacers are counting on the combination of free agent signee Jay Huff and holdovers Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman to fill Turner's void. It won't be easy, but Indiana is still capable of making the playoffs and perhaps even hosting a first-round series.
The good: Indiana used a deep roster to achieve feats few thought possible each of the past two seasons and still has depth. While Haliburton's unique skill set helped the Pacers speed up opponents, guards Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell are more than capable of replacing Haliburton. Guard Bennedict Mathurin finally will get the minutes needed to prove he's an elite scorer, and forward Aaron Nesmith could emerge as one of the NBA's top two-way players — if he stays healthy.
The not-so-good: Carlisle acknowledges the Pacers must adapt to Haliburton's absence, likely slowing down the pace at least a bit. That's one part of the equation. The other is finding a true post presence. Pacers executives like the analytics on Huff, though he's only averaged 9.6 minutes over 95 games in his first four NBA seasons. Wiseman and Jackson, meanwhile, are each returning from Achilles tendon injuries, creating plenty of questions both offensively and defensively at center.
Three-time All-Star forward Pascal Siakam has been an underrated piece of Indiana's back-to-back runs to the Eastern Conference finals, and he'll need to play an even larger role this season without Haliburton. Nesmith and Nembhard are Indiana's toughest defenders and both are capable of playing at an All-Star level. Mathurin could take off with more playing time and forward Jarace Walker could be poised for a breakout in his third season with the Pacers.
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