Ranking Teams the Indiana Pacers Could Most Likely Beat in a Playoff Series

Ranking Teams the Indiana Pacers Could Most Likely Beat in a Playoff Series

We talked about the landscape of the East and I thought it would be fun uh for us to do a segment of hot or cold that was our NBA playoff edition uh which we’re going to um rate the uh teams currently in the Eastern Conference playoff picture by whether

You think the Pacers could win a playoff series against uh that team on a scale of hot or cold so um we’ll name a team in the uh a playoff picture and we’ll say whether or not we think it’s going to be hot or cold um whether or not the

Pacers can beat them in a playoff series so um you’ll kind of get the idea as we go along um you know if you’re unfamiliar with the crash course podcast um hot or cold we say a take and tell you whether or not it’s a hot take or a

Cold take so um the the uh playoff teams as of right now uh in the East you’ve got the Celtics as the one you’ve got the Bucks as the two the Cavs are the three the Knicks are the four the Sixers are the five Pacers are the six uh the

Magic are the seven the heat are the eight the Bulls are the nine and the Hawks are the 10 um so that’s how everything sits right now in the NBA uh on the Eastern Conference side so um starting with the Celtics um uh on a scale of hot to cold

I’m going to say the Pacers uh their chances of beating uh the Celtics in a playoff series is mid January um if you all remember uh the third week of January uh we saw the coldest temps of the year so far um January 15th was the

Coldest day where I am uh the high was six the low was ne5 in East Central Indiana uh the Pacers were two and three against the Celtics the season uh Boston is third in defensive rating six in points allowed per game uh this would this will be the 10th season in a row

The Celtics have made the playoffs and if and if and if things stay the same the third straight year they’ll be a top two seed in the N Seasons prior they’ve won at least one playoff series in six of those Seasons um uh made the Conference Finals in five of those

Seasons so um they’ve had a lot of playoff success um I know that like a lot of it isn’t with the team that they had now um but I mean even the team they had now have now has had a lot of playoff success they were they were in

The finals a couple of years ago so they’ve had a lot of playoff success they’re a fantastic team again this year um in a seven game series uh you know I think the Pacers can hang I don’t think it’s going to be a sweep but I think uh

The Pacers would really struggle to make it a you know seven game series even so um you know even if Boston didn’t have the defense to shut down the Pacers League leading offense uh their playoff success and experience would be enough get the nod for me so I think I think

The Celtics uh would win that series I don’t I don’t think I I have really any faith that the Pacers could win that yeah the Celtics are in my opinion the best team in the NBA right now so I give this a a a frigid cold uh chance of the Pacers winning now

I think the they’re not getting swept in a series against the Celtics by any means I mean look they’re two and three against them this year they’ve they’ve held their own I mean it they had to beat the Celtics to even make it to Las Vegas uh to compete in the inseason

Tournament final four um so there’s there’s that but the Celtics are just really really good and if the Pacers don’t figure out some form of defense that that definitely goes the Celtics way that series uh no matter what um so I lied actually the Cavs now

Are the two seed uh in the Eastern Conference when I made the outline the bcks were two they’re tied like they’re both five games back in the Celtics so that’s flip-flopped a little bit um it doesn’t really change my Outlook I’ll go ahead and do the Cavs now um the the

Cavs for me as far as uh you know my the chances I give the Pacers to beat the Cavs in a playoff series um are uh the other side of the pillow uh in other words cool um the Pacers have won both meetings against Cleveland so far this

Season but that was all the way back at the beginning of the year in October and November so uh here in early February there’s not a whole lot of stock I put in that one uh the Cavs are second in the league in defense defensive uh efficiency and are third in points

Allowed per game uh but the Cavs just made the playoffs uh last season for the first time since 2018 uh which is also the last time they won a playoff Series so um uh I think that the Cavs obviously as a two seed are good enough to beat

The Pacers in a playoff series and can be the Pacers in the playoff series they definitely have the defense to shut down the Pacers offense but at the same time they don’t have the playoff experience that like scares me away from thinking that like they might you know kind of

Like you know falter in that big moment so um I I I would say the the Pacers have a fighting chance to win that one all right so so I’m going to it’s for me it’s like that warm that when you’re laying in bed and you’re not too

Hot not too cold but to get the right body temperature you stick that foot out from underneath the blanket that’s that’s kind of where I am on a series with the Cavs um it’s it really is kind of a tossup because neither team has the playoff experience fully

Um now the Pacers do have some pieces that have been in the playoffs before um but not just not as a as a as this team um I think the inseason tournament experience is what it officially puts the Pacers over the edge in a series against the Cavs

Um but yeah I really like the Pacers in a in a playoff series against them as far as the Bucks go the Bucks of the the three seed now um for them uh the chances I give the Pacers to beat the Bucks in a playoff series uh I’m

Going to rate that on a scale of hot to cold I’m going to say that’s fake spring uh we’re kind of going to get that this week if you’re in Indiana uh I promise uh these won’t be all weather related uh but we all know the feeling right you

Know it’s been 20s and it’s been in the 20s and 30s for weeks uh the temperatures start to rise into the 40s and 50s and it feels absolutely amazing you think it’s like it basically feels like summer um uh the Bucks are the uh number three seed we all know how

Dangerous they are uh and what they’re capable of in the postseason but the Pacers went four- one against them this season um really four- one yeah they went I thought they SW two but they uh they I looked and they went four- one I could double check it but I I thought I

Saw a loss in there when I was I thought they went 4-0 against them and then they also beat him in the n Season tournament yeah semal so no well so from what I saw they went four- one so I’ll double check it but um but yeah so regardless they

They’ve beaten them a bunch this year and um these are the two uh best offenses in the in the league they’re also not great defensively so it’s not as if the Bucks are really good defensively and the Pacers are really bad defensively and they’re both really good offensively no like they’re both

Kind of similar as far as their statistics go in that uh realm um we all know uh that in fake spring those 20 degree days will make a comeback just like I know picking a Pacers franchise that hasn’t won a playoff series in a decade to knock off a team that is just

A couple years removed from raising a banner is pretty bold uh but I but I believe I believe it could happen so I think the Pacers could beat the Bucks in a playoff series uh if they were to matchups at some point uh in the postseason right now they are set to

Match up if they were if the playoffs were today that would be the series the Pacers would Advance uh because that’s the 36 so that’s that would be my prediction so I’m going to go with this is like that Indie five 500 heat that’s that’s even bigger than me

On that one well it it depends we’re not talking about a willp power one where it was the hottest on record for the n500 we cold as the year that it was when um Tony Canan won um we’ll go with you know last year was beautiful

We’ll go with last year so you know it’s that comfortable but it’s nice it’s warm you’re you’re just happy to be outside I’m going with that because I feel like the Pacers match up extremely well with the Bucks they kind of have their number this year it’s not a sure thing

Year-over-year but this year the Pacers seem to have the Bucks number um a lot of people will say that is why the Bucks fired their coach because they have played so terribly against the Pacers but that you know that’s just Pacers fans wanting to say that but whatever um I really do

Like the Pacers chances I I would feel the most confid I would feel really confident um if we got matched up against the Bucks in the in the playoffs um along the way I I I think the Pacers would be able to take that one yeah I I

Completely agree I think that would be I think that would be a really fun series I think the Pacers would would shock some people um in that regard because you would like to think like oh Dame and Hest like of course that’s going to be a

Win for the bucks but I think the Pacers have shown they can hang um as far as the Knicks go the Knicks are the four seed um as far as on a scale of hot to cold could the Pacers beat the Knicks in a playoff series I’m going to go with

The freezer not the coldest but maybe the second or third coldest um I know I know wild that I give Indiana more of a chance to be the Bucks than I do the Knicks in a playoff series uh but hear me out the P the Knicks are seventh in

Defensive rating their second points allowed per game uh and have split their games with the Pacers uh this season uh the win coming post cakam trade so they’ve beaten the current iteration of the Pacers um New York won their first playoff series in a decade last season

And while I think a match up with the Pacers would be fun they’re just too much evidence for me in my opinion saying that the Knicks would win that Series so I’m just on the cold side that’s that’s where I’m at it’s you know freezer can be you know you could be I

Don’t even I I don’t know what’s safe for a freezer like 18 like 17 like I don’t know anyway wrong yeah I was like because I was like I don’t know how cold a freezer can uh is like was it safe to be I like my Freez my no I don’t

Know I mean it’s below freezing that’s all I like refrigerator I’m I’m bad I like my refrigerator but my my beverage refrigerator around 32 yeah you know 30 probably about 34 give me that nice really nice cold beer yeah so maybe refrigerator might be more

Apt CU I mean I what I mean is like closer to like freezing than I mean like actually like Subzero that’s what so I guess that’s where I’m where I’m at got it um yeah I like that I like the refrigerator um with this one the beverage refrigerator not the Everyday

Food refrigerator the beverage refrigerator um the garage fridge as I have um that this team is good defensively the moves that they’ve made have only made them better defensively um yeah I don’t like I don’t like how the Knicks match up against the Pacers at all

Like it’s a that’s a tough one it is a tough one I mean I think when you break it down by position there’s some positions the Pacers have got them in but not many um the only thing I feel like that could help the Pacers in this

Series is the fact that their bench is so deep they go 13 players deep on their entire on their play on their on their roster 13 of the 14 see a lot of playing time um that’s why I gave it the the beverage the garage fridge beverage refrigerator

Because because of the bench there’s there’s a chance but otherwise the m up just it it’s not what I like um now moving on to the 76ers uh that’s the last team ahead of the Pacers in the standings um on a scale of hot to

Cold do I uh how much of a chance do I think the Pacers would have against the 76ers in a playoff series I’m going warm uh I Won’t Go full hot scale I Won’t Go full on into the hot scale on this one uh but Indiana is two- one against

Philly uh and uh that’s now a team that is without embiid uh for an indefinite amount of time I think I saw today four weeks um and maybe longer four weeks I think until I don’t know what the exact thing was um if you if you listen to

What Charles Barkley said about the injury it’s G to be a a long while it might be it might have been like four weeks until we can like resume basketball activities or something like that I remember um I just remember seeing four weeks um was the timetable

Um uh out at least four weeks after left knee procedure though he’s out at least 4 weeks and I and I mean I kind of saw like it could be a it could be a long time that he’s out so um so yeah so without you know and also you know not

To mention Philly’s playoff struggles so even if you have a healthy embiid if you were to match up with Philly especially in the second round you know that’s almost an automatic pass to the Eastern Conference Finals the way they’ve they’ve shown up in those uh semi-finals

So so I’m going with the Pacers in that in that scenario yeah I’m going this is uh Fourth of July um you know you’re you’re not you’re you’re hot but you’re not quite into the dog days of summer Late July early August where you’re just like

I I don’t even want to be outside um this is Fourth of July because if Jo Joel embiid is back and healthy he’s he’s one of the best players in the entire NBA we all know that um but the Pacers match up really well against this team because if embiid’s

Not even at if he’s not at 100% or even if he’s just close to 100% I feel like the Pacers can outrun this team um the Pacers are a fast moving high scoring team that I I feel like the 76ers would just have a tough time keeping up with

And the size of a guard like Tyrese Alberton whether he’s shooting the three or slashing to the basket it is going to give a 70 the 76ers team fits so that’s why I go Fourth of July heat I do believe the Pacers would win a uh playoff series against the 76ers so now

The rest of the teams we’re going to list are now uh play playin teams they’re beneath the Pacers in the standings uh starting with the magic uh on a scale of hot to cold uh how much of a chance do I give the basers to beat

The magican playoff series uh I’m G to go luke warm here um currently Orlando is a playin team but they have played Indiana twice and have beaten them twice uh this season uh while the magic are uh the uh in the top five uh in defensive rating and points allowed per game

They’re also 25th in points per game so ultimately I think the Pacers could win a series against them uh but it’s close just because of the fact that I think their defense can bring the offense kind of further to their level I think that they can play well enough defensively to

To you know take away the advantage the Pacers would have off on offense so for me this is that glass of water that’s been sitting out on your bedside table all night after a night of out partying and drinking you go to grab it that next morning and it’s just not

Great it’s not cold it’s not hot it’s just that stale I don’t know you know what I’m talking about stale water yeah stale water yeah but that temperature of stale water uh that’s what it is just because this magic team is a sneaky good team this

Year um I feel like this is a team that you may potentially Overlook and then they hit you in the mouth and next thing you know you’ve lost a playoff series to them and you’re just like what happened um but at the same time that magic team is very young

Still and could trip over themselves because they got too good too quick and didn’t really the process didn’t follow I don’t know the the right track um but I think the Pacers could ultimately win this series but it’s going to it’s going to be that one

That’s like oh that was way too close for comfort that was almost a first round exit yeah or a potential loss in the playin yeah that would that would not be good um I would not I don’t think I would want to play them in a one game

Series at all no that would not be good uh the Miami Heat uh on a scale of hot to cold do I think the Pacers could beat the Miami Heat in a series where I go with that one as I say the middle of a Hot Pocket um like it should be

Warm uh but uh it could just as likely be cold uh Miami and Indiana have split their games this season uh the heat are seventh and points allow per game but they’re in the bottom five in points per game but they’re fresh off a finals run

A year ago and I feel like this that team you just never know once it becomes playoff time like once you know the playoffs start you know we talked a lot about you know the Chiefs you know obviously they’re not the chiefs of the NBA let’s get that out of the way first

And foremost but like they’re a team they’re they’re the St Louis Cardinals of the of the NBA where you know once the playoffs start just you know throw the records out the window cuz they’re just going to find a way to to beat you and get into the you know and next thing

You know you’re like the heat are in the Eastern Conference semifinals they weren’t they like the a seed at one point you’re like yeah yeah I don’t know they just they F they found a way they they did it um so yeah I think the Pacers should be able to beat the heat

Uh but the heat are just another animal when it comes to comes to the postseason yeah gosh this one’s a tough one because of just like you said this is a team that I don’t know right now I’m gonna I’m actually going to say um because they were the a seed last year

In the in the East weren’t they or weren’t they like a real low seed in the East maybe not as slow as the eth seed but I did not pay attention to okay I will say last year I was during the NBA playoffs I am full time I was colge basb

Mode fall on college baseball and nothing else mattered like I I put my head down and I woke up and it was July um so you know this one I’m G to go Saturday morning Pizza um not out of the refrigerator but that was left out on

The kitchen counter all night um if you you know college days waking up on a Saturday morning at box of pizza sitting on a countertop in your dorm room and you’re like yeah that that’s good um that’s the stuff right there that’s where I’m going with the heat because

The heat are struggling right now struggling like potentially out of the playoffs struggling if they keep this up so right now I like the Pacers chances but again this is the Miami Heat and what they do in the playoffs is totally different from what they do in the

Regular season and you there’s just no explanation for it so you kind of it’s a it’s a tossup but as of today I would give the Pacers the advantage in a playoff series against the Heat uh final two teams here uh the Bulls uh they’re the ninth seed uh I’m

Rating this on a scale of hot to cold uh fresh out of the oven uh other teams the Pacers have uh or uh they’re the other team the PAC Pacers have split they’re uh another team that the Pacers have split games against uh this season they

Also have a bottom five offense in the NBA uh and their defense doesn’t scare me enough to make me think that the Pacers uh couldn’t win against the nine seeds so they their defense I think is close to the top 10 in points allowed per game um but again that’s not enough

With how bad their offense is to make me think they could that the Pacers would would struggle in a series against them so Pacers I think would win that Series yeah um this one I’m just going to go with it’s warm um close to hot for me it’s uh the

Pacers can win this one the the Bulls are just kind of right there on that cusp of do they make trades to look at their future or are they willing to ride with what they got you know it’s just one of those teams it’s kind of if you want to know it’s

Kind of where the Pacers were not that long long ago where it was like who are we what is our identity that’s where the balls are so because the Pacers have an identity right now and um I think have the F Firepower to outscore the Bulls I don’t

Think the Bulls have enough Firepower to keep up with the Pacers so I give the Pacers this series and finally the Atlanta Hawks on a scale of hot or cold how do how much of a chance do I give the Pacers to beat the Hawks in a

Playoff series um I mean look you’ve got to have uh confidence that the Pacers can beat the literal last team uh in the playoffs uh right now uh team that’s on The Fringe being out of the playoffs Pacers are 3 and0 against Atlanta this season I’m going fire here that’s how

Hot I’m giving it uh that’s you know flaming hot Cheetos whatever you want to call it um I am going uh you know that’s that’s that’s a team that I am very confident I would push all my chips in uh Pacers win that series against the HW

Yeah this this one um it’s not quite this this is that dog days of summer Late July early August type heat um that is just smothering and that’s because the Pacers would would walk with this series the Hawks kind they’re again they’re one of those teams that they’re

Just they’re a mess it feels like um and considering that they’re looking at potentially being at the deadline that’s all you got to Say

At the All-Star Break, the Indiana Pacers find themselves firmly in the playoff picture. With a strong young core led by Tyrese Haliburton and the league’s best offense, Indy seems primed to win their first postseason series in a decade. But which team would be most favorable for the Pacers to match up against? Let’s discuss! Enjoy today’s video!

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