Every NBA restart team’s schedule ranked
By Ethan Becker
No. 8: The Indiana Pacers
Schedule Score: 0.3
Among every team who have every lost a key franchise player to free agency, or in this case the fear of free agency, the Indiana Pacers have probably been one of the best to rebound. I mean, just look at that Bulls team I mentioned in the last entry. They lost their stars after ’98, and they arguably still haven’t bounced back.
Now, Indiana’s success in this short period most likely rests on the player who they got in turn for Paul George: Victor Oladipo. As of writing this, Oladipo is still questionable for the Orlando return, and if he can join his team in Florida the Pacers could be a dangerous team in the bubble.
For the Pacers, if they have Oladipo, at least three of their first four games are easy wins, and without him, they should at least be able to win two, but still have a chance to win three. Among their opponents, the only teams that Indiana don’t have a winning record against are the Miami Heat and Houston Rockets. If Indiana can continue their hot streak, they are almost surely a lock for the postseason.