The Indiana Pacers’ preseason did plenty to spark optimism, but it also surfaced one concern that won’t just disappear once the games start counting: this team has been unable to protect leads.
There’s a natural temptation to either overrate or dismiss exhibition basketball. After months without NBA action, every possession feels magnified.
At the same time, preseason results are hard to treat as gospel when the games won’t matter to the standings. The truth usually lives somewhere in the middle.
And the middle is where the Pacers have given fans plenty to like.
Tyrese Haliburton has shown he can still operate at an elite level. Ivica Zubac has blended in well, and his chemistry with Pascal Siakam appears to be growing by the day. There was even a Jarace Walker point guard stretch that hinted at what could be a defining season for him.
But the good has come with one glaring issue that can’t be brushed aside: the blown leads.
At first glance, it would be easy to shrug it off. Once teams start leaning deeper into their benches and resting regulars, preseason games naturally get sloppier. The Pacers have looked like a different team when those reserve units take over, and that shift has turned comfortable edges into late-game problems.
Still, bench players are going to matter once the season begins. Indiana cannot realistically run a short rotation for 82 games.
Even in a best-case scenario, where the roster stays healthy, the Pacers already know they’ll be without TJ McConnell and Aaron Nesmith for the season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans. Add in the reality of back-to-backs and planned rest, and the deeper rotation becomes unavoidable.
That is where the concern starts to bite.
Depth was already expected to be an issue, but preseason did not do anything to calm that fear. Instead, it reinforced it.
The question now is what Indiana does next. Does the front office look for a trade?
Or does the team simply bank on someone emerging? Neither answer feels easy, and neither feels especially satisfying.
What is clear is that the Pacers can’t afford to keep building leads only to watch them vanish when the starters sit. That problem may have shown up in games that don’t count, but it can still shape the season if it lingers.
In Other News...
Pacers Open The Season With A Problem They Didn't Want
The Pacers head into their season opener already having to reshuffle the rotation, and the timing could not be much worse. Aaron Nesmith has been ruled out with a left hamstring strain, leaving Indiana without its starting small forward as it tries to get the new season moving in the right direction. His absence hands Kelly Oubre Jr. a chance to step into the lineup, while the injury also nudges the coaching staff toward more minutes for the wing depth behind him.
There is more uncertainty in the backcourt, too, with T.J. McConnell still sidelined by a right hamstring strain. For a team that leans on pace, pressure and energy, losing two rotation pieces before the first game is a frustrating start, especially when the bench is supposed to help stabilize things early. Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard are among the players who could be asked to pick up some of the slack, and the opening stretch now comes with an immediate test of Indiana's depth. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Trade Buzz Hints At A Bigger Plan Around Haliburton
The Pacers offseason chatter has started to sharpen around the idea that the front office is looking for more than just a bounce-back year. Bleacher Reports Dan Favale recently named three possible trade targets for Indiana in Yves Missi, Jaylin Williams and Jordan Walsh, a list that points to the kind of roster-building decisions the team may be weighing as it tries to keep pace in a crowded East.
A healthy Tyrese Haliburton changes the conversation almost immediately. Indiana is expected to take a step forward with Haliburton back from injury, and the projections reflect a team that could win a lot of games if the supporting cast fits properly around him. Haliburton already signed his five-year extension in 2023, so the long-term plan is clear enough - now the interesting part is whether the Pacers use trade talks to accelerate it. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Suddenly Face A T.J. McConnell Concern They Can't Ignore
T.J. McConnells availability has suddenly become an early Pacers concern, with the veteran guard expected to miss the first game of the season because of a hamstring strain. For a team that leans on his pace, energy and steadying presence, the timing is hard to ignore, especially with the regular season just getting underway and the point guard room looking thinner than usual.
McConnells value has always come from the same relentless style that has helped him last this long, even as he enters his mid-30s and continues to battle the wear that comes with playing that way. The bigger question now is not just how long he sits, but what Indiana does if this becomes more than a short-term issue, because there isnt a clear like-for-like answer waiting behind him. [Read more 🡒]