“Surprising” will be (and has been) a frequent way to describe the Indiana Pacers during the 2017-18 season. Hypothetically speaking, of course, you might see this sentence a few times over the next few days: “the Indiana Pacers have surprisingly taken the lead in the Central.” Or something like that. I get the sentiment. But, I disagree with the underlying assumption.
It’s not surprising.
It’s not surprising that exchanging Paul George for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis worked out rather well. It’s not surprising that the supporting cast could play some basketball.