Why Pacers Warrant Championship Contender Status

Although the Indiana Pacers finished as the Eastern Conference Finals runner-up in 2024, many didn't perceive their deep playoff run as legitimate. In response, the Pacers have since recovered from a slow start to the 2024-25 season by flirting with a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference. One stat supports the Pacers' championship contender status. 

Following Sunday's 125-120 victory over the Denver Nuggets at the Ball Arena, the Pacers emerged as a team that appears prime for another playoff run. Indiana has a 25-21 record against its Eastern Conference counterparts. 

While such a mark doesn't indicate dominance, especially considering the Eastern Conference has a 38-40 Orlando Magic as the seventh seed, the Pacers' success against the stronger Western Conference implies they are ready for stiffer competition.  

The Pacers are 21-10 against the Western Conference during the 2024-25 season. 

They've impressively swept the Los Angeles Clippers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, beat the Dallas Mavericks with Luka Doncic, and overcame the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets, among other notable victories.

The Pacers are no longer a team surviving due to primarily offense, with little to no success on defense. Indiana is 15th in defensive rating, nine places ahead of the same metrics from last season. Moreover, the Pacers sit ninth in defensive rating over their last 15 games.

If they can succeed against the superior Western Conference and play defense at a top-10 level, then such accomplishments should shed the "cute story" label many Pacers' skeptics place on the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. 

After another season of proving their worth to the NBA universe, the Pacers warrant consideration of rivaling the Boston Celtics as legitimate forces in the NBA playoffs.