Power Rankings: Eastern Conference Playoffs Edition

#6 Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have exceeded all expectations this season

All things considered, the Indiana Pacers have to feel pretty good about how this regular season campaign has gone for them. Renowned analytics firm FiveThirtyEight, among other experts, pegged Indiana as one of the worst teams in the league, predicting a record of 32-50 and a 10th-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Instead, the Pacers find themselves sitting pretty with the 5th seed in the standings virtually locked up.

Much of the credit for their play this season goes to possible All-NBA selection Victor Oladipo, who's having a breakout season and is the prohibitive favorite to win Most Improved Player honors for this season. Other than Oladipo, the Pacers have received steady, solid contributions from the likes of Darren Collison (who was a shrewd free agent signing), Myles Turner (trending upward definitely in his 3rd NBA season) and Thaddeus Young.

From the bench, Domantas Sabonis has demonstrated upside that has led to various old-timers drawing comparisons with his father Arvydas. Lance Stephenson has been an above-average playmaker, while Bojan Bogdanovic has also been a solid contributor, making 40.2% of his 3s in 4.8 attempts per game.

But from a playoff perspective, in a prospective matchup against the Cavaliers (against whom they hold a 3-1 record in the regular season) or the 76ers (they have a 2-1 record against them), their roster strength will be tested to the limit without much success.

Sure, the Pacers move the ball well and try to find the hot hand in every game, but they don't have the kind of game-changing superstar that the Sixers have in Embiid and Simmons, or the Cavs have in LeBron James. For this reason, they are unlikely to progress beyond the first round.