Indiana Pacers: Schedule lends itself to quick start

Brooklyn Nets (Oct. 30)

The Nets are one of the most intriguing teams in the league. On paper, the addition of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant sets them up for a big run once Durant returns from his ruptured Achilles tendon.

But that’s not happening before Oct.30, and it makes the Nets’ matchup with the Indiana Pacers that much more winnable for the visitors.

Yes, Irving is a huge upgrade from D’Angelo Russell—4.7 VORP to 3.0 and more than double (.197 vs. .097) the WS/48.

But this is not the same Pacers team that has historically struggled against teams with good point guards as Darren Collison was far from their equal offensively.

The Pacers have Malcolm Brogdon now, and the 2016 Rookie of the Year was a key factor in the series-clinching 25-point win the Milwaukee Bucks hung on the Boston Celtics in Game 5 as Brogdon returned from injury for the Eastern Conference semifinals.

If we use Brogdon’s relative plus-minus in the Bucks’ games against the Celtics last year as a proxy for how he’ll match up with Irving as they move to Indiana and Brooklyn respectively, “The President” is the commander-in-chief of that matchup, more than capable of holding his own enough to let the rest of the matchups favor the Pacers against Brooklyn.

Until Durant comes back, the Nets are a mediocre team, the same 42-win-caliber squad they were last year.

It’s a stretch to predict a road win over a playoff team, but it’s the only big obstacle to running the table in October and early November.