The 2024-25 NBA season is approaching and the Indiana Pacers will begin play later this month. They hope to build on their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
They also hope to improve individually. Last year, no Pacers player won a league award, although Tyrese Haliburton was named to the All-NBA Third Team. votes received for numerous NBA honors, but were unable to bring home the hardware.
To date, the last member of the blue and gold team to win an individual award was point guard Victor Oladipo in 2018. Back then, he won the league’s Most Improved Player award. Could this be the year an Indiana player wins an award again? Here are some possibilities.
MVP
Haliburton has the best chance of doing that of any Pacer, and bettors Okay. The star point guard averaged 24.2 points and 12.7 assists per game last year before suffering a season-altering hamstring injury. If he can get back to that level for a sustained period, he could be an MVP candidate. Indiana should also win a ton of games.
If the Pacers are the best team in the league and Pascal Siakam improves his averages to 22 points and 7 rebounds per game, maybe his name could be brought up in those discussions. But that seems almost impossible.
Rookie of the year
While Johnny Furphy, 35th overall pick showed promising results during the NBA Summer LeagueThe rookie forward likely won’t play much this year unless the blue and gold deal with multiple injuries. There’s virtually no chance the Pacers have a Rookie of the Year candidate in 2024-25.
Sixth Man of the Year
The Pacers had the bench of the best scorers Last season in the NBA, backup point guard TJ McConnell picked up a few votes for Sixth Man of the Year, finishing seventh overall. He finished the season on a high level.
If McConnell plays with that increased impact for a full season, he could be in the running for that honor. Indiana’s bench could face fewer changes this year because the roster has more obvious roles, so McConnell’s ability to pair well with Obi Toppin, Isaiah Jackson and Ben Sheppard for another season will be very helpful.
And then there’s Bennedict Mathurin, who fits right in with this group and is a terrific scorer off the bench. With some subtle improvements, he could become a big part of the blue and gold, and his prolific style of play is usually rewarded with Sixth Man of the Year voting. He and McConnell are the top two candidates for that honor on the Pacers roster.
Defensive Player of the Year
If the Pacers are still bad on defense, they won’t have any Defensive Player of the Year candidates. It’s that simple. If they can get close to league average on the less glamorous court, then their best defenders — Andrew Nembhard, Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith — could all be considered.
Turner has the best chance, thanks to his ability and reputation. He’s already been in the All-Defense conversation and is a good rim protector. His own growth at that end of the floor could help Indiana get back toward league average on defense.
Most Improved Player
Indiana has plenty of less experienced players — Haliburton, Nesmith, Nembhard, Mathurin, Jackson, Sheppard and Jarace Walker — who could theoretically improve enough to be considered for the award.
Given how often they’ll play, their current skill set, and their experience level, Mathurin and Nembhard seem by far the most likely options. Both could take off statistically and impact-wise in their third seasons, and if the Pacers are good, people will notice.
Coach of the Year
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle finished eighth in the award last season. It is a regular-season award, after all. His team continued to thrive in the playoffs, and if Indiana’s run to the conference finals had been a factor for voters, Carlisle might have finished higher.
Unfortunately for the veteran head coach, that success could backfire next season. Coach of the Year is often awarded to a coach who leads his team well beyond expectations, and the Pacers will have much higher expectations for the upcoming campaign. They could still exceed them, but it will be more difficult.
However, on a purely meritorious basis, Carlisle should be in the running for this award. His role in establishing the Pacers’ unique style has been underappreciated, and if he leads the young team to win a lot of games again, he should be considered.
Decisive player of the year
Haliburton has made a few game-winning shots in his history and will likely be the go-to guy in big games. He’s the Pacers player most likely to be in the running for the award, but predicting the winner seems impossible.
For further discussion of these possibilities, see THE Pacers locked podcast.
