Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from late win over the Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are no fluke in the East

Every year in the NBA, there are a handful of teams that outperform expectations. Whether those outlooks came from fans, media or members of the team, several teams bypass them early.

The Pacers, led by Victor Oladipo and a cast of fellow forgotten players like Domantas Sabonis and Tyreke Evans are not one of those teams.

Sure, prior to the year, they were not projected to be a top-three squad in the East, but they compete like one now. Teams like the Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers among others are going to have their hands full with the team from the Hoosier state.

Starting with the backcourt, led by Oladipo and Darren Collison, the Pacers pose a pair of ball-handling threats with the vision to create offense. In their matchup with the Raptors, the two led the team, combining for eight assists.

Surrounding the starting backcourt is the Pacers most impactful trait: their depth.

In the loss, the Pacers confidently played nine different players for double-digit minutes, with each playing a role. The intelligence and prowess of their bench have allowed the team to pose the second-best defense in the league by rating, only trailing Oklahoma City.

The aforementioned Sabonis, playing a revolving role of a sixth man and starting forward, is playing his way into the Sixth Man of the Year conversation. Averaging a near double-double at 14.1 points and 9.9 boards per game in only 24.7 minutes prior to the contest, he has made his impact.

In their opening meeting with the East-leading Raptors, Sabonis racked up 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The team goes multiple players deep at each position with players that would likely start on a handful of teams in the league.

For the Raptors, their first matchup against the Pacers sent a large message.