Pacers Roundtable: Eight Thoughts on the Season Ahead

Oct 13, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; From left to right Indiana Pacers forward Paul George, guard George Hill, and guard Monta Ellis watch from the sidelines during a game against the Detroit Pistons at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Detroit 101-97. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

7) How far can Indiana go?

Siskin: Semifinals.

Muncy: Championship. Sounds crazy right? How many people picked the Golden State Warriors to win last year? Couple breaks, Paul George rising to G.O.A.T. status, and you just never know.

Wilson: I think the Eastern Conference Semifinals are possible depending on the match-up. If the Pacers can avoid a Cavs/Bulls series in the first round I could see them in semifinals….otherwise it’s a first round exit.

Rund: I think they can make it to the Eastern Conference finals, but I’m not sure they will have enough team chemistry or a good enough lineup defensively to make it past that point.

Turpen: Based on what we saw in the East last year, all the way to the NBA Finals. The East is bad enough that Indiana can compete with anyone, maybe even get lucky. That being said, the Conference Finals is probably this team’s ceiling, at least at this time.

McKee: Indiana can go as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, If not the NBA Finals. They have the talent on the roster to do so. The question is, will they? The answer remains to be seen, but in a wide-open Eastern Conference the sky is the limit for this franchise. Mind you, this is all predicated on how well this team gels heading into the second half of the season. It wasn’t long ago that Indiana was once the best team in the NBA until the wheels fell off in 2013. Guessing their success at this point is difficult but they have the potential to become Beasts in the East. Can they live up to that potential?

Stewart: Reaching the conference semi-finals is as much a possibility as a first round exit, but the Pacers have to get there first. 82 games is enough to prove you belong in the playoffs and especially in the East, so anything less than at least the first round is a bust.

Next: Wrapping it all up