Last season was practically a joyride, what happens when a team exceeds expectations by a wider margin than any in franchise history. When most people are expecting 32 or so wins and a team delivers 48, it feels like success.
It gets more difficult for the Pacers this time around. A mere winning season won't cut it in the minds of most fans and neither will a fourth straight first-round playoff exit. The general expectations are for 50-plus victories and a longer run through the postseason, and anything short of that will feel like a disappointment.
On the eve of the regular season opener against Memphis at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the latest version of a Pacers team offers few reasons for pessimism.