A lot of people seem ready to write off the Indiana Pacers, and that’s exactly the kind of mistake Celtics fans already know better than to make.
FanDuel has Indiana tied for the ninth-best odds to win the conference at +1600, alongside the Atlanta Hawks, and the buzz around the Pacers is close to nonexistent. They’re not being treated like a real title threat, and in some circles they’re barely being discussed as a playoff team.
There are reasons for the skepticism. Tyrese Haliburton is coming back after missing all of last season with an Achilles injury, and Indiana was a mess without him, finishing 19-63 and 14th in the East.
T.J. McConnell also dipped last season, though that can at least be viewed through the lens of him carrying a bigger load during a gap year.
The bench isn’t as scary without Bennedict Mathurin, and the Pacers are operating in the same crowded conference as the Boston Celtics.
Still, the Celtics have already seen what this team can do when people assume the Pacers are finished.
Indiana was Boston’s hardest test on the way to the Celtics’ 18th championship in 2024. The Celtics did sweep the conference finals, but that doesn’t tell the full story. Outside of Game 2, every game in that series was decided by five points or fewer, and Boston spent more than a few moments looking like it was hanging on by a thread.
If not for several collapses, especially in Game 1, the Pacers could have flipped that series. Their run to the Finals the next year only reinforced that point, and there’s an argument that they might have gone all the way if Haliburton hadn’t torn his Achilles in Game 7.
The roster isn’t identical now, but plenty of the important pieces are still there: Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Rick Carlisle on the sideline.
Indiana has made a habit of refusing to go away, and that edge has become part of its identity. The Pacers were still being overlooked in 2025 even after finishing as the No. 4 seed and battling through matchups with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
That’s the point here: the Pacers tend to be at their most dangerous when everybody else decides they’re not worth worrying about. Boston already learned that lesson once, and the Celtics should be paying attention again.
In Other News...
Anfernee Simons Just Sent Celtics Fans A Familiar Message
Anfernee Simons is arriving in Philadelphia with a familiar perspective on what his next role might look like. After spending time as a starter with the Portland Trail Blazers, he also recently handled a bench role with the Celtics, and his comments on a podcast suggested he views the adjustment through a positive lens rather than as a setback. For a Sixers team that signed him in free agency, that matters because the plan is to use him as the first guard off the bench and count on him to strengthen the second unit.
For Celtics fans, the message will sound familiar because they already watched Simons navigate that kind of shift. His willingness to embrace the bench gives Philadelphia another useful scorer and a player comfortable with different responsibilities, which can be a real asset over the course of a season. The only question now is how quickly that mindset translates once the games begin and the rotation tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Face A Costly Payton Pritchard Decision Soon
Payton Pritchard is approaching a pivotal stretch with the Celtics, as he becomes eligible to sign a contract extension on Oct. 1. Boston has already been active in locking up other pieces, and Pritchard is now squarely in the group the team is expected to weigh carefully as it looks to keep the roster intact.
The timing matters because Pritchard just had his best NBA season and is projected to have a major role again this year. A deal in the neighborhood of three years and $67 million would signal real commitment from the Celtics, but it would also add another costly decision to a payroll picture that has been tightening around the teams core. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Put On Blast As Celtics Loyalty Debate Heats Up
DeMarcus Cousins added a fresh layer to the Celtics conversation this week when he took aim at Jayson Tatum on a podcast, arguing that Tatum should have checked in on Jaylen Brown after Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. The criticism centered less on basketball than on loyalty, with Cousins saying he was disappointed Tatum did not reach out during what he viewed as a difficult stretch in Browns career.
Tatum has publicly spoken highly of Brown over the years, but Cousins suggested those remarks were more about image than genuine support. For Celtics fans, the debate taps into a familiar offseason undercurrent: how much of a star partnership is built on real bond, and how much of it is just what gets said when everyone is watching? [Read more 🡒]