Many NBA teams have short windows when true greatness and postseason success are possible.
If they miss that window, they might not have it again for many years.
So far this season, basketball fans have been asking a lot of questions about the Indiana Pacers and if their window has closed.
Evan Sidery gave a good reason why people are wondering that: on X, he pointed out just how much the team has diminished this season.
Their offensive rating has “dipped significantly” from 120.5 last season, which was second in the league, to 112.0, which is 17th.
Additionally, their defense has not changed much either, and they are 24th in the NBA.
“The rest of the NBA has appeared to figure out the Pacers’ high-powered offense,” Sidery wrote, and it’s hard to argue against that.
The rest of the NBA has appeared to figure out the Pacers’ high-powered offense.
Indiana’s offensive rating has dipped significantly from 120.5 (2nd) to 112.0 (17th).
The Pacers’ defense is also showing no signs of improvement allowing 116.7 points per 100 possessions (24th). pic.twitter.com/hu51e4BBm6
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) December 4, 2024
The Pacers currently have a 9-13 record and are the ninth team in the East.
As a reminder, they went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, but the possibility of doing that again this year seems slim.
The Pacers have a number of issues, including the output from Tyrese Haliburton.
Haliburton is scoring 17.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 8.5 assists from the floor, a dip down from last season.
Both his field goal and three-point percentages have slipped in 2024-25, and that has many people concerned.
The team was celebrated for its explosive offense last season, and it felt like they could score more than anyone.
This season, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
They have time to figure things out and become the robust and competitive team they once were, but people are growing increasingly concerned about the state of the Pacers.
NEXT: Kendrick Perkins Says He’s Concerned About 1 NBA Star
