Preseason NBA Power Rankings: Philadelphia 76ers look like Eastern Elite

7. Indiana Pacers

After attempting to steal away J.J. Redick from the Philadelphia 76ers earlier this summer, it would appear that the Indiana Pacers are going to do their darndest to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals regardless of who gets in their way.

I mean, they did come a game away from knocking a LeBron James-lead team out of the playoffs in the first round for the first time in almost a decade, add in a few more shooters and we could be looking at a serious contender for the Eastern Conference crown.

Fortunately for Victor Oladipo‘s squad, GM Kevin Pritchard did just that, much to the chagrin of Philly, Boston, and the rest of the East.

In addition to selecting Aaron Holiday out of UCLA in the draft, the Pacers also added Tyreke Evans to replace Lance Stephens, and auxiliary shooing forward Doug McDermott to pad out their rotation. While none of these players individually are enough to take Indie over the top, their collective weight will surely be felt all over the court next season, and finally, transform the Pacers into a top-flight Eastern Conference force in practically no time at all. Philly, you have officially been warned.