One year ago NBA soothsayers peered into their crystal balls — not realizing that they were as opaque a bowling balls and equally as prescient — and foretold that the Indiana Pacers would suck. They were wrong. Instead, the Pacers captivated a fanbase in need of a lift, inspiring tangible dreams for a bright future ahead.
That dream feels closer now. As close as the summer was short. It didn’t even take three full weeks before a volatile NBA landscape settled into shape. There will surely be signings and trades ahead, but few feel seismic. And Kevin Pritchard all but admitted that the Pacers have settled in too.