Bill Simmons believes the Indiana Pacers have a huge chip on their shoulder entering this season. The podcast host at The Ringer calls it having a "(expletive) you file."
Zach Lowe, Joe House and Simmons broke down the Eastern Conference as the NBA season is about to begin, and they agree the Pacers are in line to exceed expectations.
"I think the Pacers have a giant '(expletive) you' pile," Simmons said. "I think they're mad that they didn't win the title (in 2025). I think they all feel like they would've if (Tyrese) Haliburton hadn't gotten hurt. I think they're being discounted in every conceivable way."
Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, which the Pacers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Missing Haliburton — and several other players for long stretches last season — they won a franchise-worst 19 games.
Simmons said the Pacers and 2026 champion New York Knicks are his favorites to win the Eastern Conference.
"I think the Pacers are really scary, and I don't care that Haliburton missed all of last year," Simmons said.
Lowe likes how Simmons is thinking.
"If they get to the playoffs and they find that vibe that they had, that rhythm that they had, they are extremely dangerous," Lowe said. "Nothing about what they did in the playoffs was fluky, even though it involved the greatest run of crunch-time shotmaking in the history of basketball by Tyrese Haliburton."
Haliburton made a critical shot in each round of the 2025 playoffs as the East's No. 4 seed reached the Finals.
The Pacers discussion begins at about the 1-hour, 12-minute mark.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Bill Simmons of The Ringer believes the Indiana Pacers are underrated entering the NBA season
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