The Indiana Pacers have a top-three participant in franchise historical past, top-of-the-line shooters of all time, and top-of-the-line passing and capturing seasons in franchise historical past. Some members of the blue and gold crew have reached unimaginable heights.
Alongside the best way, they’ve had a number of All-NBA skills and some NBA legends on their roster. It isn’t straightforward to pinpoint who has had the very best particular person season of all-time amongst Pacers gamers, particularly given the franchise’s historical past of playoff success.
It is onerous to pinpoint the highest 5 seasons by a participant who wore an Indiana uniform. Listed below are the very best seasons by a Pacers participant. Victor Oladipo, Ron Artest, Paul George and Reggie Miller had nice seasons that did not make this checklist.
5: Tyrese Haliburton in 2023-24
Haliburton had the very best season ever for a Pacers level guard, and his closing marketing campaign earns him a spot on this checklist. The All-NBA level guard was terrific within the Pacers’ closing marketing campaign, guiding the crew to the Japanese Convention Finals.
The 24-year-old averaged a league-best 20.1 factors and 10.9 assists per sport. His numbers have been significantly better than that earlier than struggling a midseason hamstring damage, however he nonetheless completed sturdy and led top-of-the-line offenses the convention has ever seen.
That put him within the playoffs, and Haliburton averaged 18.7 factors and eight.2 assists per sport throughout his crew’s run to the convention finals. He made some game-winning pictures and had a variety of huge performs on his solution to being named to the All-NBA Third Workforce.
He was additionally an All-Star and completed ninth in Most Improved Participant voting, his second consecutive season within the prime 10 for that award. Haliburton was unimaginable on offense and made an affect all through the season, and it was top-of-the-line seasons by a Pacer ever.
4: Jermaine O’Neal in 2002-2003
Contemplating solely the common season, the 2002-03 season could have been O’Neal’s greatest. A 12 months after profitable the NBA’s Most Improved Participant Award, the facility ahead averaged 20.8 factors and 10.3 rebounds per sport whereas capturing 48.4 p.c from the sector.
O’Neal improved his assists this season and reached a brand new stage on protection. He was an important two-way participant, and with a double-double common, he was chosen to the All-NBA Third Workforce. The South Carolina native had an important 12 months.
He was additionally an All-Star for the second time and have become top-of-the-line gamers within the NBA. Sadly for O’Neal and his place on this checklist, the Pacers didn’t have a lot success as a crew in 2002-03.
Indiana completed 48-34, good for third place within the Japanese Convention. They then misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs, falling to the Boston Celtics in six video games. O’Neal averaged a monstrous 22.8 factors and 17.0 rebounds per sport in that best-of-seven matchup, and his statistical marketing campaign was unimaginable. However the crew’s lack of wins has held this season again on this checklist.
3: Paul George in 2013-14
The 2013-14 season was marked by many irritating moments for the Pacers, and it nonetheless has a considerably destructive notion in comparison with the franchise’s different distinctive years. That notion detracts from the reflection on George’s marketing campaign, which was distinctive and his greatest for the blue and gold.
The versatile wing was all over the place in 2013-14. He scored a career-high 21.3 factors per sport, a quantity he did not prime till 2016 — and his protection fell off in that point. In 2014, nonetheless, George was an elite scorer and defender, ending on the All-Defensive Second Workforce and receiving votes for Defensive Participant of the Yr.
George completed ninth in MVP voting and was named to the All-NBA Third Workforce. Along with his scoring output, he averaged 6.8 rebounds and three.5 assists per sport, strong numbers, and guided Indiana to 56 wins.
That 12 months, the Blue and Gold reached the Japanese Convention Finals earlier than dropping once more to LeBron James and the Miami Warmth. George was environment friendly within the playoffs, averaging 22.6 factors per sport because of strong effectivity, which made the playoff run attainable regardless of the crew’s new issues.
George had higher scoring seasons later for Indiana, however his marketing campaign was his greatest in two-way play, and it was accompanied by crew success.
2: Jermaine O’Neal in 2003-2004
O’Neal adopted up his nice 2002-03 season with an excellent higher season in 2003-04. The four-way participant reached his peak with the blue and gold that marketing campaign and earned accolades that no Pacers participant had seen earlier than.
The 1996 first-round draft decide averaged 20.1 factors and 10.0 rebounds per sport, his second straight season averaging a double-double. He elevated his assists and blocks numbers from the earlier 12 months whereas decreasing his foul price. O’Neal was extra environment friendly in nearly each space, and his protection was approaching elite ranges.
He was an All-Star for the third consecutive season, and his end-of-season accolades have been spectacular. O’Neal was named to the All-NBA Second Workforce, which stays the very best mark ever earned by a Pacers participant, and he completed third in MVP voting behind Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan. O’Neal obtained two first-place votes within the MVP voting, which ranked second within the league.
From an awards perspective, that is the very best season in Pacers historical past. Indiana reached the Japanese Convention Finals and Joe averaged 19.2 factors and 9.1 rebounds per sport within the playoffs. It was an incredible marketing campaign that deserves to be thought of the very best in Pacers historical past.
1: Reggie Miller in 1997-98
Miller is a franchise icon in Indiana, and he earned the highest spot on this checklist with a implausible 1997-98 season.
The member of the NBA’s seventy fifth Anniversary Workforce was electrical throughout this marketing campaign. He usually made game-winning pictures, incomes him a fame as a grasp of huge moments. He averaged 19.5 factors per sport and obtained MVP votes for the primary time in his profession.
Miller was an All-Star and a third-team All-NBA choice. Past the crunch, Miller’s three-point capturing was what made this season stand out. He was a top-10 three-point shooter that season, and he was considered one of solely three gamers in that top-10 to make 40 p.c of his three-point pictures. His mixture of quantity and accuracy was forward of its time. He was inconceivable to defend.
The UCLA product additionally averaged 2.9 rebounds and a pair of.1 assists per sport on a 58-win crew that’s thought of top-of-the-line in franchise historical past. Through the playoffs, through which the Pacers reached the Japanese Convention Finals, Miller averaged 19.9 factors per sport whereas sustaining his extremely sharp capturing potential.
Different campaigns have featured higher stats or accolades, however none mix crew success, accolades, stats and main moments like Miller’s season. It is the very best 12 months ever for a Pacers participant.
To study extra about this rating Uncover the Pacers locked podcast. To see the highest 5 seasons of a Pacers participant at particular positions, take a look at the rankings for playmakers, capturing guards, small forwards, sturdy attackersAnd facilities.
