Indiana Pacers

25-57, no playoffs

Overview: The Pacers open this season with a different goal. They’re no longer satisfied with just making the playoffs or advancing beyond the first round. Instead, they want to build a long-term contender with young, talented prospects. Yes, the long journey back won’t be quick or easy and the Pacers are willing to be patient. But make no mistake, building for the future still includes some essential components to winning now — playing hard nightly, defending well and steady progress.“Young talent in the gym is always invigorating,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “The day Luka Doncic first walked into the gym in Dallas is a day I’ll never forget. I feel that way about our guys. I’ve talked to the staff about metrics that would be useful to measure progress, measure performance but I would say, in general, a lot of this is going to be the eye test.”They see 22-year-old point guard Tyrese Haliburton as the centerpiece of this new project after acquiring him in a February trade that also netted swingman Buddy Hield. They got power forward Jalen Smith, a 2020 lottery pick, in a deal with Phoenix, then re-signed him as a projected starter.

Quote: “I think we’ve just got a lot of guys who love basketball, who love to compete and that’s a great place to start,” Haliburton said. “There are so many young guys and they have a lot to prove.”