4. Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers have been another big surprise in the Eastern Conference. It looked like things would go south in a hurry with the departure of Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they haven’t.
Victor Oladipo and company have the Pacers cruising with a 40-29 record. They are currently third in the East, but with the Cavaliers lurking at a half-game back, their position could move slightly. Given as well they’re playing, they’re bound to get every team’s best game.
Oladipo is averaging 23.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game for Indiana this season. He’s been a breath of fresh air for a club that won just 42 games in 2016-17. Now, with a few adjustments, Indiana is on pace to to surpass last season’s win total and then some.
Bojan Bogdanovic‘s acquisition has also been a blessing in disguise for them. He’s averaging 14.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game this year. If the Pacers face Washington in the first round of the [layoffs, that is certain to be a fun one, since Bogdanovic played for the Wizards last season after last year’s NBA Trade Deadline.