At 26-15, it seems fair to say the Pacers have passed their midterm exam.
Sure, there were the inevitable errors along the way, the days when they failed to meet their potential, but every team does that. On the whole, they managed a better mark than most reasonable people would have predicted in the preseason, especially if they had known all the absences that were coming.
Victor Oladipo, the only player on the roster to have played in an All-Star Game, is two weeks from making his scheduled debut. Malcolm Brogdon, the obvious leader and best closer in crunch time, has missed 12 games.