[645]

A tough road schedule. Inconsistent play. A performance worthy of Defensive Player of the Year from their best player. A trade of two starters.

All in the first 41 games of the season.

A fast start was the last thing anybody expected from the Indiana Pacers after they added eight new players last summer. But fans didn't expect losses to struggling teams like Minnesota, Charlotte and Boston, either, or to see their big offseason acquisition traded before the midpoint of the season.

Star