The new NBA season is starting soon, but where do the Indiana Pacers rank?
The Indiana Pacers' new NBA season will be starting soon, with preseason games getting going starting this weekend.
Indiana will be looking for some redemption this season after missing the playoffs entirely a year ago. Without star guard Tyrese Haliburton due to injury, the Pacers were only able to win 19 games, seeing their success from the previous year vanish.
But Haliburton is now healthy and ready to go, with the team excited to have their leader back on the court. The last time that Haliburton played was in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, giving him a long absence from the sport.
Haliburton has worked hard on his rehab to attack his torn Achilles, and the Pacers feel very confident in where he is as the year gets started. With him back in the mix, Indiana will try to establish itself as an elite team in the Eastern Conference again.
But before the season gets started, where do the Pacers rank among the rest of the league?
Coming into the NBA season, Indiana has been ranked at No. 16 in a new power ranking from Bleacher Report. This seems about right for the Pacers, especially since Haliburton has to show that he is healthy when the year gets started.
Haliburton and co-star Pascal Siakam can still be a dangerous duo for the Pacers, giving the team a nice mix of talent. Siakam has helped the Pacers grow into more of a contender since his arrival, bringing his experience to the table.
But since Indiana has gotten playoff experience over the last few years, the goal of the 2026 season is to win the NBA title. The Pacers came within one win of claiming the first title in franchise history, and this group is hungry to get back to that level of success.
It won't be easy for the Pacers, especially with the East expected to be much tougher than it was a year ago. But given the talent that Indiana has on the roster, combined with the experience that the coaching staff has, this group could do damage this season.
If Haliburton is actually healthy enough to play and get back to being the type of player that he was before the injury, the Pacers could be one of the top teams again. But much of the year will fall on his shoulders, and this team needs him to step back into his star role as the season goes on.
