2018 NBA Playoffs: Power ranking all 16 teams

8. Indiana Pacers

Maybe LeBron James sweeps his way through the first round again because he’s LeBron James, but something tells us this first round series between the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers might be different. This team is no pushover, even if that’s exactly what the Pacers were expected to be entering the season.

Forget about the feel-good storylines about Victor Oladipo‘s Indiana homecoming or giving critics of the Paul George trade the middle finger, because this team is good outside of narrative too. Oladipo has become the legitimate two-way star most were expecting when he first entered the league, Domantas Sabonis is a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate and Myles Turner has enough talent to be on the radar for a breakout series after struggling last year.

Matching up with the King of the East limits how high we could rank this team. There’s a chance LeBron sends the Pacers home in the playoffs yet again. But considering Cleveland’s porous defense and Indiana’s 3-1 record against the Cavs this season, this could be one of the best first round series in the 2018 NBA Playoffs.