In a way, the Indiana Pacers can't lose this year. 

Either they pull things together and earn a playoff spot, or they miss the post-season after back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals and get a shot at another lottery pick. 

Looking for a comp? Try the 1997 Spurs, who had an elite team but fell off the map that year largely due to injuries to David Robinson and Sean Elliott. They then won the Lottery. And selected Tim Duncan. And the rest is history. 

Could that happen to the Pacers? Might not be the worst thing.