Toronto Raptors: Eastern Conference playoff predicitons

7. Indiana Pacers

This feels odd, but if any team could be boom or bust in the Eastern Conference this year – it might end up being the Indiana Pacers. For that reason, I’ve bitten the bullet and put them in the bust category, just to shake things up a little bit.

In fairness, if finishing in the seventh seed is a bust scenario for the Pacers, then Nate McMillan is doing a pretty good job, all things considered.

What there is to consider, however, is that Victor Oladipo still isn’t healthy, and might not return anytime soon. If you’re counting, no exact timetable is never a good thing. Oladipo is an All-NBA caliber player, one of the most exciting players in the NBA, and the catalyst that makes the Pacers tick.

Without him, cracks should start to appear. The frontcourt pairing of Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis already looks to be under threat, with rumours that the Pacers are listening to trade offers for the latter. Since then, Sabonis has since signed a four-year extension with the Pacers, though his fit with Turner is yet to be fully explored.

The former, however, is one of the best defenders in the league and could receive some votes for Defensive Player of the Year this season. Backed by new signings Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb, Turner and the Pacers will survive until Oladipo makes his triumphant return – but how far back could they be by that point?