Indiana Pacers: Lack of star power will hurt come playoff time

As well as they’ve played since Victor Oladipo’s injury, his absence will ultimately spell doom for the Indiana Pacers in the postseason.

When Victor Oladipo suffered a season-ending knee injury towards the end of January, it looked to be a death sentence for an Indiana Pacers squad that continued to defy expectations with their play.

An All-Star the season prior and on his way to a second consecutive selection, Oladipo had blossomed as the headliner in Indiana, becoming a go-to scoring option capable of locking down opponents at the other end. He had helped the Pacers surprise many with their 2018 playoff run, and given the star-driven nature of the NBA, his absence would pull the plug on any hope the team had of advancing further.

Since that night, though, Indy has remained surprisingly competitive, posting a record of 10-9 while allowing the fourth-fewest points per game. The roster is well balanced with talent spread all around, and head coach Nate McMillan has firmly placed himself in the conversation for Coach of the Year.

For as valuable as it is to employ a number of high-level role players, the NBA has shown us throughout the years that those who possess the best of the best usually wind up contending for the trophy come June.

There are just certain points over the course of a game when the offense gets stagnant or others are struggling, when a team needs one or two guys that can isolate at the top of the key and feel very confident about the upcoming result.

Oladipo might not have been a bona fide superstar, but he had developed into that guy for the Pacers, capable of closing out even the tightest of contests with his athleticism driving to the bucket and ability to stop on a dime anywhere on the court.

In his absence, Indiana continues to do a phenomenal job in sharing the wealth, and it’s led to increased production from others like Bojan Bogdanovic, who’s averaging 23.5 points per game in February and March. But is he the type of guy you trust in a pivotal playoff game? Looking down the roster at guys like Myles Turner, Thaddeus Young and Darren Collison, is anybody?

Thursday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks was telling. After going into halftime down just four points, the Pacers would go on to score just 48 in the second half en route to a 19-point loss. They were simply unable to produce any sort of offense against one of the best defensive teams in the league.

Yes, the Bucks happen to have the best record in the NBA, but come playoff time, their effort level is the type every opponent will give on a nightly basis, and while Indy might respond in kind, it’s the likely gap in talent that will make all the difference.

Indiana’s offensive limitations will ultimately handcuff it when it matters most, no matter how unified the guys on the roster may seem to be on a nightly basis. It’s a great story to watch unfold, but there’s a reason that teams built this way aren’t usually the ones contending for championships.

The fact that they’ve managed to remain steady in the wake of losing their best player speaks volumes to the foundation laid in place for future seasons when Oladipo will likely be back leading this team. But while many Pacers fans continue to seek recognition for their teams’ efforts, most others will take a wait-and-see approach on a team looking to buck one of the oldest narratives in sports.