ESPN’s national camera caught Kevin Pritchard, president of the Indiana Pacers, in attendance at No. 14 Kansas’ 90-82 thumping of No. 13 BYU. That’s encouraging, isn’t it? The top two prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft were playing Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas – the Jayhawks’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s A.J. Dybantsa, in whichever order you prefer – and Pritchard’s presence means the Pacers are serious about owning one of the first two picks.
A few hours later, though, local TV cameras caught the Pacers beating the Atlanta Hawks 129-124 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. That’s discouraging, isn’t it? It was the Pacers’ third victory in the last four games, lifting them out of last place in the NBA Eastern Conference – and every game they win threatens the Pacers’ odds of getting one of the top two picks in the draft.
But let’s not be greedy. A top-three pick would be a thing of beauty, because that would mean the Pacers would be guaranteed one of the following: Peterson, Dybantsa or Duke power forward Cam Boozer. All three project as All-Stars, probably All-NBA picks, maybe even franchise players.
After the Pacers’ third win in four games, at 13-36 they currently have – let’s see – the 27th-best record in the NBA. That’s bad.
That means they have the league’s fourth-worst record.
That’s not bad enough.
This isn’t a screed against our local NBA team for daring to compete, daring to try to win – and even doing it, on occasion. You want to tell Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle to stop trying? Better do it by telephone. Say it to his face and his inner Virginia scholar will eviscerate you, verbally. Unless his inner pugnacious self tries to eviscerate you some other way.
Same goes for Andrew Nembhard, the Pacers’ quiet killer of a point guard. Ask him to please stop trying so hard, and you might actually hear his voice. More likely you’ll just hear his laughter.
This has been our experience for the better part of the last decade: The Pacers are too competent, too prideful, to tank. When I say it starts at the top, I’m talking about owner Herb Simon, who didn’t become an NBA Hall of Famer by embarking on The Process or whatever nonsense that has turned the Philadelphia 76ers into a running joke.
How silly are the Sixers? They acquired Paul George before the 2024-25 season – on purpose! Ball don’t lie, is one way of looking at that.
Anyway, PED-13 – sorry, PG13 – isn’t our problem anymore. Hasn’t been for a while.
Our problem, and this is a true story, is that we have an NBA team that has marching owners from its owner, president and coach – to say nothing of its point guards, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell – to win as many games as it can, and let the Ping Pong balls fall where they may.
If only you could make them … well, not understand. Let’s not be condescending about this and pretend lifetime NBA people don’t understand the benefits of angling for a top-three pick in this draft. Simon understands to a certain extent, though he’s so stubborn about winning you sometimes have to wonder.
Pritchard and Carlisle understand better.
And even non-NBA lifers like you and me understand this: The Pacers who took the dominant Oklahoma City Thunder all the way to Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals – that roster, I mean – should be largely intact, and healthy, to open the 2026-27 NBA season.
That roster would of course welcome the return of Tyrese Haliburton, who is missing the entire season after suffering a torn Achilles’ during … well, you remember. That roster also would welcome healthier versions of Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith and everyone else – seems like everyone, at times – who has been injured this season.
And that roster could have at least one new face:
Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, a 6-6, 205-pound guard drawing comparisons to Anthony Edwards and even, gulp, Kobe Bryant.
BYU’s A.J. Dybantsa, a 6-9, 210-pound wing drawing comparisons to Tracy McGrady or, ahem, Paul George.
Duke’s Cam Boozer, a 6-9, 250-pound forward drawing comparisons to Paolo Banchero.
Assuming Haliburton plays anywhere near 100% next season – and that’s a safe assumption, given the advances in surgical and rehab techniques – you’re looking at one of the best two or three rosters in the Eastern Conference.
How’s this for a starting lineup: PG Haliburton, SG Peterson or Dybantsa, SF Nesmith, PF Siakam – or PG Haliburton, SG Nesmith, SF Siakam, PF Boozer – and whatever the Pacers do about their hole at center. And they’d do something. They’ll surely do something no matter what happens in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery, but if they win the right to select Peterson, Dybantsa or Boozer, you know Pritchard will pull out all the stops to get a worthy center.
Because that’s a preseason NBA championship contender.
The lottery offers no guarantees, of course. The NBA has made sure that tankers cannot (automatically) win. Each of the bottom three teams have a 14% shot at the No. 1 overall pick, and a roughly 40% chance at a top-three pick. The odds drop to 12.5% for the top pick, and roughly 36% for a top-three choice, for the team with the fourth-worst record – that’s the Pacers, today – and to 10.5% (No. 1 overall) and roughly 31% (top three) for whoever has the fifth-worst record.
Those aren’t comfortable odds for any team, but every little bit helps. Every little loss, I mean.
If you ask me, Nembhard looks exhausted after playing on a team that reached Game 7 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals and Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, then transitioning – after another short offseason – into this season, where he’s been asked to carry an outsized burden. Hey, the same goes for Siakam and Nesmith. Exhausted.
Imagine how fresh they’d be next season, if the Pacers shut them down soon to rest their weary legs.
Imagine how fresh they’d look next to Tyrese Haliburton.
Imagine how fresh they’d look next to Darryn Peterson or A.J. Dybantsa.
Kevin Pritchard was in Lawrence, Kansas, on Saturday. Think he imagined it?
A few hours later the Pacers beat the Hawks to drop a spot, for now, in the NBA Draft lottery. Privately, Pritchard must’ve been very, very angry. Unless I’m just imagining it.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Doyel: Stop winning, Pacers, please? Think of the kids! Well, think of next season.
Reporting by Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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