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NBA Playoffs 2017: Power ranking all 16 playoff teams

By Chris Barnewall

January 16, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates in front of Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 16, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates in front of Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 10, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (right) and center Myles Turner (left) look on from the bench during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Pacers won 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (right) and center Myles Turner (left) look on from the bench during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. The Pacers won 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

15. Indiana Pacers

Paul George is the only reason the Pacers are in the playoffs. He played out of his mind to get Indiana in this position, as the Pacers slowly did whatever they could to sabotage their own efforts. It came down to the final night, but they managed to clinch a playoff spot and hold back a charging Miami team. Now they’ve earned a first round matchup with LeBron James and the Cavs. Honestly, they should have tried to work a way to get the No. 8 seed instead.

The Pacers might have been the most average NBA team ever this year. They constantly floated in the 15 to 16 range on both offense and defense for the entire season. They were never disgustingly bad, but they were also never impressive. They did hold off other teams to make the playoffs, but would they have managed to do that without Paul George? Probably not.

If the Pacers had excelled in any particular area there may have been hope for them to make more noise in the playoffs. However, their mediocrity has led to them being nothing more than Paul George and friends. They’ll play the Cavs tight for a few games, but everybody knows how the series will inevitably turn out. It’s a shame too, because there’s a lot to like on the Pacers roster with guys like Myles Turner and Jeff Teague. The pieces just don’t fit together well.

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