After a frustrating 0-2 start to the season, the Sixers will have to submit a strong performance to avoid opening their season with a three-game losing streak: they are headed to Indiana to face the Pacers on Sunday afternoon, facing a young team looking to build on a surprise run to last year's Eastern Conference Finals.
Here to preview the matchup is Tony East, who does a stellar job covering the Pacers for Forbes Sports and Locked On Pacers as well as the Indiana Fever for The Next Hoops.
Let's talk to Tony about an old friend of ours, the Pacers' offensive engine and expectations for the team as a whole heading into 2024-25:
Adam Aaronson: Our old friend T.J. McConnell has achieved even more success in Indiana than he did in Philadelphia — dare I say, when he retires he will be remembered as a Pacer. How would you describe what McConnell has meant to the Pacers organization over the years?
Tony East: He’s been one of the few constants through their rebuild. He and Myles Turner are the only players who are present from the previous era of Pacers basketball, and McConnell has now signed three different contracts with the franchise.
Off the court, he is adored – just as he was in Philadelphia. Every year, he takes a young player(s) under his wing. Andrew Nembhard received his teachings two years ago. Last season, he and Ben Sheppard were inseparable. That part of McConnell’s life with Indiana comes naturally. He leads and is an excellent veteran.
On the hardwood, his best seasons have come in the Circle City. Last year, particularly after Bennedict Mathurin went down with a shoulder injury, McConnell became a lights out player in isolation. He averaged double-digits points for the first time while still being a high-level passer off the bench. McConnell maintained his numbers into the postseason and proved to not be a liability despite his size and shooting limitations.
His hard play always makes him a fan favorite. A successful season and a growing army of younger mentees make his impact on the Pacers franchise impossible to quantify.
AA: Tyrese Haliburton was once a rumored trade candidate for the Sixers, but ultimately landed in Indiana and has taken command of the organization as its franchise centerpiece. What makes Haliburton special, and what are your expectations for him in 2024-25?
TE: Nobody can shoot, pass, and score all in combination better than Haliburton when he’s at his best. He isn’t the best individual player in the NBA at any of those skills, but in tandem, he provides more than anyone else, which makes him an elite offensive engine.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, he hasn’t been at his best much recently. Multiple hamstring injuries and back problems have held back his shooting, and the team’s pace has gone from insanely fast to just regular fast. They still have an elite offense, and Haliburton still puts up absurd numbers. But he hasn’t gotten back to his “possibly the best offensive player in the NBA” level that was shown early in 2023-24.
I expect that he will actually transition just a smidge to have more off-ball responsibilities as Nembhard and Pascal Siakam grow with the franchise. Haliburton should have the ball as often as possible, but as he recovers and adapts, him adding spacing can keep Indiana humming. At some point, he will return to his elite usage rate and guide what should be a top-five offense, at least.
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AA: The Pacers are coming off a surprising run to last year's Eastern Conference Finals. With Pascal Siakam having re-signed and just about the same group back together, what do the Pacers need to do this year to stay near the top of the pecking order in the conference?
TE: Growth from young players will be the most important thing. Last year's team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals had Haliburton, Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Sheppard, Obi Toppin, and Isaiah Jackson all in the rotation. All of those players were on their rookie-scale/first contract at the time, so they have room to grow.
It’s easy for a team with that little experience to run it back after a deep postseason run. If any one of those players improves, the team is theoretically better. That doesn’t even account for the team having Siakam for 82 games as opposed to 41, and it also doesn’t account for Mathurin re-joining the lineup or any possible ascent from Jarace Walker.
It’s possible that none of Indiana’s youngsters take big steps forward. But more Siakam has some amount of value, as does Mathurin’s return. Their ceiling may not have climbed as much as other teams in the Eastern Conference, but their floor remains high, and at their best the Pacers can beat anybody.
MORE: Was Pacers' playoff run a sign of things to come?
More Sixers-Pacers Information
• Date/Time: Oct. 27, 3:30 p.m. EDT
• TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
• Spread: Pacers -7.5
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