After they traded Paul George and let Jeff Teague walk in free agency, the Pacers were overlooked for most of the rest of the NBA offseason, written off as one of the many rebuilding or tanking teams in the Eastern Conference. However, the return in the George trade – along with the rest of the Pacers’ summer moves – signal that Indiana isn’t necessarily looking to bottom out for a high lottery pick this season.
Rather than focusing on rookies or future draft picks, Indiana acquired two probable rotation players – Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis – in the trade with Oklahoma City. Then, the team went out and signed or traded for Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collison, and Cory Joseph in July.
Those aren’t the sort of impact moves that are going to swing the Eastern Conference this season, but adding that group of players to a core that includes Myles Turner, Thaddeus Young, Lance Stephenson, and Al Jefferson should help make the Pacers competitive in the short term.
Still, oddsmakers view the Pacers as a lottery team. Offshore betting site Bovada puts their over/under at just 31.5 wins, which would make them the 11th-best team in the East, based on Bovada’s projections. That seems about right to me — if everything breaks right for the Pacers, they could enter the playoff picture, but a spot in the middle of the lottery seems like a better bet.
What do you think? Are there still enough solid pieces in Indiana for the team to win 32 or more games, or will the losses of George and Teague send the Pacers – winners of 42 games last season – further down the Eastern standings? Vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
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Previous over/under voting results:
Western Conference:
- Golden State Warriors: Over 67.5 (53.57%)
- Houston Rockets: Over 55.5 (65.57%)
- San Antonio Spurs: Over 54.5 (67.74%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Over 50.5 (71.77%)
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 48.5 (55.69%)
- Denver Nuggets: Under 45.5 (50.44%)
- Los Angeles Clippers: Over 43.5 (60.7%)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Over 42.5 (56.3%)
- Utah Jazz: Over 41.5 (55.94%)
- New Orleans Pelicans: Over 39.5 (65.26%)
- Memphis Grizzlies: Over 37.5 (53.43%)
- Dallas Mavericks: Under 35.5 (54.95%)
- Los Angeles Lakers: Over 33.5 (50.4%)
Eastern Conference:
- Boston Celtics: Over 55.5 (63.5%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Over 53.5 (68.82%)
- Toronto Raptors: Over 48.5 (64.21%)
- Washington Wizards: Over 47.5 (71.29%)
- Milwaukee Bucks: Over 47.5 (63.88%)
- Miami Heat: Over 43.5 (55.39%)
- Charlotte Hornets: Over 42.5 (51.07%)
- Philadelphia 76ers: Under 41.5 (53.37%)
- Detroit Pistons: Over 38.5 (51.95%)
- Orlando Magic: Under 33.5 (75.24%)
I believe pacers would probably get more wins than magic.
Given the George trade, the Pacers may not deserve more tham 32 wins, but that doesn’t mean they won’t get it.