As the 2024-25 NBA season approaches, the Indiana Pacers are hoping their success from last year will continue into the new campaign.
The Pacers shocked the NBA world and made their first appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals since 2014. And despite get swept away by the future champion The Boston Celtics and Pacers proved they belong on the big stage. Some would even say the Pacers gave Boston their toughest challenge of the playoffs.
Despite their run to the conference finals, the Pacers are still overlooked. When it comes to serious contenders for the Eastern Conference title next season, the Pacers are rarely mentioned. Instead, the Celtics, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers (now led by former Pacers star Paul George) are considered the best teams in the conference.
Although they are still outsidersThe Pacers have great momentum and should be even better next season. Fortunately for the team, some members of the NBA still believe in their chances of putting together another incredible run next season.
In a recent interview on THE Pacers locked podcastPotter spoke about the team’s outlook for next season. Potter played with Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton as a member of the United States’ selection team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and he got to see firsthand what kind of talent the 24-year-old possesses.
Potter said the Pacers “have a really good chance of being really good” next season.
“I think the Pacers have a really good chance of being really good. They obviously had an incredible season last year,” Potter said.
Additionally, the 26-year-old cited the team’s “continuity” and “better chemistry” as the main reasons why the Pacers should improve next season.
“You just have the continuity of people like that, and people who have been there. Everybody is going to get better this summer,” Potter said of Indiana. “And then there’s that increased chemistry … And now you know what you have to do.”
The Pacers had a quiet offseason this summer, at least in terms of external additions. During the offseason, the Pacers signed center James Wiseman and selected forward Johnny Furphy in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft. However, outside of those two players, the team didn’t sign any notable players who could contribute right away.
Indiana is counting on the natural progression of all its players, though. And given the youth of the team and what it accomplished last year, that could be the right move. Ultimately, the Pacers still have some hurdles to overcome next season, but they should be considered a top team in the conference and could surprise some again.
