Indiana Pacers
After the loss of All-Star guard Victor Oladipo to a torn quadriceps, the Pacers lineup is depleted, but not broken. The Pacers have the second best defense in the NBA in terms of points allowed, only giving up 103.5 points per game. A 42 point beatdown of the Lakers last night showed that not only are the Pacers okay without Oladipo, they are not to be overlooked as an easy playoff out.
Indiana Currently sits one game ahead of Philadelphia in the fourth spot in the East, but that will presumably flip in the coming weeks. I do not anticipate the Pacers falling below the fifth seed, as they are currently 7.5 games ahead of the sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets.
The 76ers starting lineup is much stronger than Indiana on the offensive side and are comparable on the defensive end. A 24-point win against Indiana just three weeks ago with a healthy Victor Oladipo showed that the Pacers are not a huge threat to Philadelphia in a seven-game series, especially considering they just lost their lone All-Star.
Although they are a defensive powerhouse, the Pacers are a team that the 76ers would be excited to see in the playoffs. I do not think Indiana has the offensive capability to keep up with a 76ers starting 5 that has every player averaging at least 17 points per game.