With five games left in the regular season, the Indiana Pacers have roughly a 50 percent chance of making the 2017 NBA Playoffs. Read on to find out why the Pacers should go all out to claim one of the final playoff spots in the East.
Just more than a week ago, a playoff spot appeared to be a near-certainty for the Indiana Pacers, but in the NBA, things can change quickly.
Over the last seven games, the Pacers have lost six times and their 37-40 record has them in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
If the playoffs began today, Indiana would be on the outside looking in, but is that necessarily a bad thing?
There is a feeling among some fans that it is preferable to miss the playoffs and enter the NBA Draft Lottery, rather than make the playoffs as a low seed and most likely get bounced out in the first round.
However, there is evidence to support the concept that Indiana should fight to make the playoffs, even if it means slipping in as the No. 8 seed.
The NBA Playoffs are a separate entity from the regular season; the pressure and intensity is not something a player can easily adjust to without having actual playoff experience — and the more, the better.
All NBA players benefit from additional playoff experience, but it is even more critical for young players.
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Starting center Myles Turner and reserve swingman Glenn Robinson III have only been in the playoffs one time, so their growth would be accelerated by making another appearance in 2017.
When a team makes the playoffs as a low seed, they also must face one of the top seeds in the first round. Playing against a top-flight opponent in a playoff series provides an invaluable learning experience, even in a losing effort.
In Indiana's case, for example, if they lose to the Boston Celtics or the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, the Pacers will see how they measure up against the best and they'll have a better idea of what it truly takes to win in the playoffs.
The flip side of this argument is based upon the NBA Draft. Some observers feel that getting a higher draft pick is more valuable than making the playoffs when an immediate exit is expected.
In all probability, the difference between barely making or barely missing the playoffs would be one or two positions in the draft order. Everyone likes the idea of picking higher, but that guarantees nothing.
There are plenty of No. 1 overall picks who have been busts and an assortment of mid- to late first-round choices (and even some second-rounders) who have been All-Stars, so choosing a little higher in the draft doesn't mean that a team will come away with a better player.
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Another issue to consider is Paul George's status. He can opt out of his contract in the summer of 2018 and George has made it clear that he wants to play for a team that has a chance to contend.
If the Pacers miss the playoffs this year, that will be a step back from their position as the No. 7 seed in 2016. Incidentally, Indiana gave the second-seeded Toronto Raptors all they could handle last year, taking the series to seven games.
The playoff series against Toronto was a valuable, confidence-building experience for the Pacers, but if they end up in the NBA Draft Lottery in 2017, that does not bode well for the possibility that Paul George will remain in Indiana long-term.
There are multiple benefits to making the playoffs in the NBA, even as a low seed. In terms of missing the playoffs, there are no clear advantages.
There perhaps could be some logic to "tanking" earlier in the season if it yields a top-three draft choice for a rebuilding team, but that is not the position the Indiana Pacers find themselves in.
The Pacers are currently tied for the final playoff spot in the East, but they are out of the top eight as a result of tiebreakers. Indiana would be wise to do everything they can to claim a playoff spot, because the pros of being a playoff team far outweigh the cons.
