5 reasons Indiana Pacers can win NBA Finals
By John Buhler
1. Three Eastern Conference Finals in four years?
While an NBA Championship is the preeminent goal for all 16 teams that make the NBA Playoffs, the 2015-16 Pacers are in a unique position in that they can play in their third Eastern Conference Finals in four seasons.
Though Indiana missed out on the 2015 NBA Playoffs, the Pacers came up short in the 2013 and 2014 Eastern Conference Finals to James’ Miami Heat. Should Indiana get the No. 7 seed, the Pacers could conceivably play James for the third time in four years in the Eastern Conference Finals, only, this time, he’ll be playing with his hometown Cavaliers.
The parity in the East this season in the top half has been better than in decades. Surely having either Cleveland or Toronto upset in the first round would be startling, but not entirely unexpected. Indiana and Detroit do have rosters that are better than No. 7-8 seeds in past years of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The East will have all eight playoff teams above .500 for the first time in who knows how long?
Given that three Eastern Conference Finals appearances in four years is still on the table for Vogel’s Pacers, who’s to say that Indiana can’t find a way to advance twice this spring in upset fashion to achieve that remarkable feat?
The Pacers may be only a seventh or eighth seed in these NBA Playoffs, but would have probably beaten both teams in last year’s No. 4-5 matchup in the East: No. 4 Toronto vs. No. 5 Washington. Yes, the Cavaliers are the favorites to win the East and deservedly so, but the Pacers are built for deep playoff success in 2015-16. An NBA title is unrealistic, but not entirely impossible in 2016.
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