If you’re an Indiana Pacers fan, you’ve surely thought it.
Something along these lines: “How can the Pacers be so bad when the Boston Celtics are doing so well?”
Most observers had similar expectations for Indiana and Boston as the 2025-26 NBA season got underway.
The Pacers and Celtics represented the Eastern Conference in the past two NBA Finals. However, both were expected to step back and take a “gap year” in 2025-26. Expectations were tempered as both teams’ franchise players were out for the season due to Achilles tendon ruptures – Tyrese Haliburton for Indiana and Jayson Tatum for Boston.