The Pacers finishing the job could also sway opinions on what to do with Darius Garland.
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The Indiana Pacers shocked the Cavs in the second round of the playoffs. At the time, a 64-win Cavs team losing in five to a 50-win group was a huge disappointment.
While that loss highlighted how much further the Cavs need to grow as a team (and be healthy during the playoffs), the correct takeaway probably should’ve just been that the Pacers are incredibly good. They’ve repeated the formula they used against Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks and have given a healthy Oklahoma City Thunder team all they can handle in the NBA Finals.
In our latest SB Nation Reacts poll sponsored by FanDuel, we asked Cavs fans whether Indiana’s continued success makes them feel better about the loss. The majority surveyed said that they would.
It was, however, only a slim margin that would feel better. Still, 48% of those surveyed wouldn’t feel better about the loss even if Indiana won the title.
The NBA is a results-driven business. Changes will come whether you like them or not after falling in the playoffs like the Cavs did. How drastic those alterations are remains to be seen.
Moving on from Darius Garland is a popular idea. The news of his recent toe surgery quieted some, but not all, of the speculation around a possible deal. That thought process didn’t show through in the survey results.
Most of the fans surveyed want to see Garland back next season.
This should be a busy summer around the league. It seems like many high-profile players are going to be moved. If so, that would open up an opportunity for third or fourth teams to get involved in a deal to take on the extra pieces that are thrown in to make the salaries work. This is where Koby Altman and the rest of the front office could make some moves.
We’ll see how this summer shakes out.
Be sure to head over to FanDuel for the remainder of the action this NBA season.