NBA season 2025-26 Preview: who can be this year’s Indian Pacers?
A year ago, at this moment, I have shown that the Indian Pacers were seed n. 7 in the East, on a level with teams sown 5-8. Perhaps they had an external possibility of making the first four if Philadelphia fell (which certainly happened). I have projected the pars who lose in the first round of the playoffs.
Obviously, I was wrong. The Indiana finished as seed n. 4 from 50 wins and made a race to the playoffs to the game 7 of the NBA finals.
Do you bring the question: which teams can be Indian this season? Here is three.
(Notes: Allse Teams are from the Eastern Conference. I Don’t Think an “I Didn’T See That Coming” Run Can Happen in the West. Who is coming out of Nowhere in the West? Not Championship Teams Oklahoma City and Denver, Not Houston with Superstar Kevin Durant, Not the Lakers Wit Superstars (Plural) Lebron James and Luka Doncic.
Orlando Magic
This is the fashionable choice of a team that will make a giant jump. With good reasons.
Orlando was seed n. 7 In the East a season ago despite the stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have lost considerable time with combined oblique injuries. Banchero is an All-Nba level player who scored on average 29.5 points and 7.5 rebounds a game last season, while Wagner scored on average 24.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and this summer led Germany to the Eurobasket title (Next to Kings Dennis Schroder).
What makes Orlando such a post -stone threat is his defense, which was classified second in the NBA last season and is led by blocking players such as Guardia Jalen Sugges and the great man Jonathan Isaac. This team plays D on a string. This should not change.
What Orlando needed to take the next step was to turn-the space on the banquet floor and Wagner-and they got him with the addition of Desmond Bane, a 41% career from 3 points that can also create his shot and is a solid defender. The team also needed guard depth and discovered that in the form of Tyus Jones. The offense is ready to take the next step.
The defense wins the championships and that cliché is the reason why magic is a team that could jump from seed n. 7 a year ago at the NBA finals.
Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta built the best list I’ve ever had around Trae Young, entering its eighth NBA season. Even more important, this list is designed to adapt to Young skills set.
Hawks’ front office has not only filled the holes this summer, found great attacks. Atlanta needed a protector of the defensive rim in the paint that could also be a pick-and-pop partner for Young and found one in Kristaps Porzingis. They needed defense and shoot on the wing and got it with Nickeil Alexander-Walker (as well as multiple shots from the bench with the addition of Luke Kennard).
However, the biggest addition is the return of a healthy Jalen Johnson, who had an average of 18.9 points and 10 rebounds per game last season before an injury ended his career soon. Zaccharias Rishercher found his foot at the end of last season and is ready to jump this season.
All this not only adds talent to the Hawks, but also adds talents that adapts perfectly to Young’s game, which has matured in the last two seasons. There are staff of the Front Office throughout the League convinced that a genuine contender of Trae Young cannot be built due to his defense and the shooting selections. Atlanta has a list that could prove that it is wrong – on paper. If this team meets and remains healthy, a race from seed n. 8 a year ago at the final is not out of the question.
Pistoni of Detroit
Last season, Pistons more than tripled the total of victory from two years ago – do they have another leap in them?
Like the Indiana that went to last season, Detroit is the team projected mostly to finish somewhere between the fifth and the seventh, but with a real potential in the roster to surprise (especially in a season east this season). They showed last season in the playoffs that are real: they fell to the Knicks in the first round but played respectably in that series.
Cade Cunningham should put together another all-nba-22.1 level season, 9.1 assists, 6.1 rebounds per game-but the talent around him must intensify. Jaden Ivey was experiencing a year of breakout, with an average of 17.6 points per game, until a fibula broken on January 1st ended his season after 30 games. Jalen Duren scored on average 11.8 points and 10 rebounds of a game last season and must take a step forward on both ends of the field.
The biggest challenge will be the replacement of Malik Beasley. This falls to the former teammates of Michigan Caris Levert and Duncan Robinson, both signed this summer and will be asked to enter a wider role.
This list has shown to be good. Is it quite good as it is? If the Front Office makes a bold move during the season – speculation on a trade by Lauri Markkanen is out there – Vault could Vault in the upper part of the East.
Detroit is a longer shot than Orlando or Atlanta to make a deep race to the playoffs, but count at their own risk.