The biggest disappointment in the Eastern Conference might not be the 76ers

The NBA is constantly evolving and, at times, can be unforgiving. One season, you are fighting for a chance to go to the NBA Finals; the next, you are struggling to remain competitive. Nothing illustrates this more than the Indiana Pacers in the 2024-25 season.

With a record of 9-14, the Pacers have taken a significant step back from where they were just a season prior when they finished with 47 wins. Last season they made the Eastern Conference semifinals. Now they're struggling to maintain pace in a weakened Eastern Conference.

Though there have been plenty of disappointing clubs out East. While the Bucks and 76ers have struggled to live up to the lofty expectations placed on them during the offseason, you can build a case that no one has disappointed more than the Indiana Pacers.

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Tyrese Haliburton has not looked like an All-star this season

The root of the problem in Indy stems from the play of their franchise point guard, Tyrese Haliburton. Last season, he took a massive leap forward, averaging 20.1 points, 10.9 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game on 47 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from downtown. His play earned him a spot on the All-Star team for the first time.

However, the shooting woes from the second half of last year have followed him into this season and have Pacers fans wondering if Haliburton can shake it off. His scoring average has dropped to 18.5 points per game and he's shooting just 41 percent from the field. And though he's shown flashes, he's mostly been very inconsistent.

It's clear he is still one of the best facilitators in the game, averaging 8.5 assists a game this season. But his shooting issues are putting less pressure on the defense and the offense as a whole is suffering.

The Pacers are still a talented team with Pascal Siakam playing at an elite level and Bennedict Mathurin continuing to improve. If Haliburton can tap into the elite performance from a season ago it would be hard to count the Pacers come playoff time. But for now, they're just fighting to stay in the postseason race.