If we can be honest for a moment, I was ready to hate on the Pacers for the rest of eternity. That divisional series they had with the Raptors in 2016 was a real pain to get through, and I did not enjoy large chunks of watching it. (The highs, though, were very high.) It takes a toll on a person’s mind, and I had decided to hex them for life. But — but! — that was a different team, one anchored by Paul George, a transcendent talent.
This Pacers squad is almost wholly new.