Previewing The 2024-25 Indiana Pacers
September 12th, 2024
by Alan Lu
The Indiana Pacers had a very successful season last year, as they won 47 games in the regular season, reached the The In-Season Tournament finals against the Lakers, and they were able to reach the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals due to having a high-octane offense and a tremendous season from superstar point guard, Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers have a deep, young squad that shoots and passes the ball very well, and they will look to build off their surprising run for the upcoming season. They were able to add a veteran star forward in Pascal Siakam, and the Pacers are a promising, up-and-coming team that will likely make the playoffs in 2025.
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Tyrese Haliburton has emerged as one of the best young stars in the NBA’s game today, and he is a tremendously skilled guard whose sharpshooting, scoring, and playmaking prowess makes him an elite guard in the league right now. (Photo: Dylan Buell/Getty Images, via SBNation.com)
Star Players:
G Tyrese Haliburton, F Pascal Siakam, and C Myles Turner
Tyrese Haliburton is a very skilled guard that was able to make his first All-Star team last year. He can really shoot, score, and pass the basketball, and he has a great feel for the game. Pascal Siakam is an athletic big man that can score the basketball in a variety of ways, is a solid playmaker for his size, and can add some rim protection to the Pacers on the defensive end. Myles Turner is a strong, athletic center that can really block shots, and he also can space the floor on offense.
Additions:
C James Wiseman, F Johnny Furphy, G Tristen Newton, and F Enrique Freeman
The Pacers didn’t seem to make notable additions to their roster, but they added the former second overall pick in James Wiseman, who has bounced around, but he’s an athletic center whose shot blocking skills and ability to play in the interior could have him earn some minutes this year. They also drafted a slew of rookies that could help them in the future.
Subtractions:
F-C Jalen Smith and F Doug McDermott
The Pacers lost a solid rotational big man in Jalen Smith, whose stretch capabilities and interior play helped them off the bench, and McDermott was a sharpshooter that has been a solid role player in this league for numerous years.
Rookies:
F Johnny Furphy, G Tristen Newton, and F Enrique Freeman
Given the talent and depth of Indiana’s bench, it’s not likely that the rookies will crack the rotation this year, but they could end up being solid role players in this league. Furphy is a tall spot-up shooter that projects into a 3 and D role. Tristen Newton is a savvy combo guard whose playmaking, defense, and clutch play should allow him to contribute right away. Enrique Freeman is a high-motor combo forward that impressed in the NBA Draft Combine, and he is a tremendous rebounder that could find a way to earn some minutes as the season progresses.
Expected Rotation:
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Bruce Brown and Myles Turner will be teammates on the 2023-24 Indiana Pacers for the upcoming NBA season.
(Photo: Frank Franklin II/The Associated Press, via The Dallas Morning News)
The Pacers’ starting lineup is a young, exciting outfit led by Tyrese Haliburton, and they will be bolstered by the presence of Bruce Brown. However, they may not quite have the talent or the defensive versatility to compete with the top teams in the East this season.
Projected Starting Lineup:
Key Bench Players:
Obi Toppin had a solid 2024 season, and he will play a vital role on the Pacers’ team for the 2024-25 NBA season. (Photo: Dylan Buell/Getty Images, via Forbes)
The Pacers have a solid bench led by Obi Toppin, TJ McConnell, and Bennedict Mathurin, and they boast having a lot of talent on this year’s roster.
The Rest of the Roster:
G-F Ben Sheppard
G Tristen Newton (Two-Way)
F Enrique Freeman (Two-Way)
G Quenton Jackson (Two-Way)
Others in Camp:
F Cole Swider (Exhibit 10)
G Keisei Tominaga (Exhibit 10)
Team Options at the End of the 2025 Season:
Here I will project the likelihood of the Indiana Pacers to pick up and accept or decline the team options for various players at the end of the 2025 season.
Bennedict Mathurin – Team Option Will Likely Be Accepted (100% Certainty)
Jarace Walker – Team Option Will Likely Be Accepted (100% Certainty)
Ben Sheppard – Team Option Will Likely Be Accepted (50%-60% Certainty)
James Wiseman – Team Option Will Likely Be Declined (50%-60% Certainty)
Kendall Brown – Team Option Will Likely Be Declined (60%-70% Certainty)
Head Coach:
After having a not so good 2022 season a couple of years ago, Carlisle had a respectable 2023 season, and he and the Pacers are looking to build off that for the new year.
(Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski/USA Today Sports, via Basketball Network)
Rick Carlisle
2023-24 (IND): 47-35, 8-9 in the playoffs
Coaching Career: 943-828, 71-79 in the NBA Playoffs, won 1 NBA title with the 2011 Dallas Mavericks
He is most known for winning the championship with the 2011 Dallas Mavericks. He has a high pedigree with a lot of regular season wins throughout his career. Last season, Carlisle helped built a high-octane offense around Tyrese Haliburton, and the Pacers were able to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, and they will look to build off of that run for the 2025 season.
NBA Head Coach Rank: 15
Outlook:
Tyrese Haliburton will likely lead the 2025 Pacers to another playoff run this season.
(Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski/USA Today Sports/Reuters, via GMA Network)
The Pacers had a very good 2024 season, and Tyrese Haliburton, Rick Carlisle, and company were able to lead them to get to the Eastern Conference Finals. It probably will be a tougher go around this time around, and they will need to improve on the defensive end, but the Pacers have the talent to be competitive in the playoffs in 2025.
Projected 2024-25 Finish:
Expected Win-Loss Record: 44-38
Projected Regular Season Finish: 5th in the Eastern Conference
Expected Playoff Finish: Projected to lose in the 1st Round
Preseason NBA Power Ranking: 14
I went to Basketball-Reference and SalarySwish to look up some information for this write-up. It will be an exciting basketball season this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing the in-season tournament to see how that will unfold. Anyways, that is my write-up on my preview of the 2024-25 Indiana Pacers. Thanks for reading.