The historic NBA India Games features the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers in two preseason games on Oct. 4 and 5 at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai.
While the Kings have been looking for their first playoff appearance since 2006, the Pacers have been very consistent in that regard.
They have combatted injuries, free agency departures, and a blockbuster trade by drafting well, and transitioning from one superstar to another to remain a playoff regular over the past decade.
MORE: Recapping Draft Day 2019 for the Indiana Pacers
Here's how the 2019-20 roster looks for the Indiana Pacers as per the team's website:
Backcourt
| # | Player | Experience | Age |
| 4 | Victor Oladipo | 6 years | 27 |
| 7 | Malcolm Brogdon | 3 years | 26 |
| 26 | Jeremy Lamb | 7 years | 27 |
| 9 | T.J. McConnell | 4 years | 27 |
| 3 | Aaron Holiday | 1 year | 22 |
| 15 | Naz Mitrou-Long | 2 years | 26 |
| 5 | Edmond Summer | 2 years | 23 |
| 16 | CJ Wilcox | 3 years | 28 |
| 8 | Justin Holiday | 6 years | 30 |
Victor Oladipo, the team's last All-Star (2018), suffered a ruptured quadriceps tendon in his right knee this past January and has been out of action since.
In June, Kevin Pritchard, the Pacers' President of Basketball Operations, revealed that Oladipo could be until December 2019 or January 2020. There is no word yet on whether he would still travel with the team to India but it is highly unlikely that he will take the court.
🙌 Victor’s making serious progress.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) June 7, 2019
(📹 @VicOladipo) pic.twitter.com/ioDjNm8XhN
However, there are still reasons for hope. Given the hole they needed to fill in the guard department, the Pacers acquired 2017 Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon from the Milwaukee Bucks and then signed Jeremy Lamb and T.J. McConnell as free agents.
Although neither of these three guards might be at the same level as Oladipo was before his injury but their signings certainly add much-needed guard depth to the roster.
Frontcourt
| # | Player | Experience | Age |
| 10 | Brian Bowen II | Rookie | 20 |
| 24 | Alize Johnson | 1 year | 23 |
| 22 | T.J. Leaf | 2 years | 22 |
| 20 | Doug McDermott | 5 years | 27 |
| 11 | Domantas Sabonis | 3 years | 23 |
| 14 | JaKarr Sampson | 4 years | 26 |
| 33 | Myles Turner | 4 years | 23 |
| 1 | T.J. Warren | 5 years | 25 |
| 88 | Goga Bitazde | Rookie | 20 |
| 37 | Amida Brimah | Rookie | 25 |
| 23 | JaKeenan Gant | Rookie | 23 |
For the better part of the last decade, the Pacers have been among the best defensive teams in the league.
Early on, it was the duo of David West and Roy Hibbert, combined with their great perimeter defenders but last year, when they ranked third in the league, it was a complete team effort.
For this team as well, defence will most likely be their calling card.
Myles Turner led the league last season in blocks per game with 2.7 and the acquisition of T.J. Warren provides the team with a reliable 3-and-D wing.
The team would be dealing with the huge loss of Thaddeus Young in the frontcourt but trust Nate McMillan and his staff to develop a scheme to combat his absence.
Goga Bitazde, the rookie from Georgia, is the only player listed as a pure center on the roster but other bigs like Turner and Sabonis have played appreciable minutes at the center position previously in the team's small-ball lineups.
MORE: History of the Indiana Pacers
The Pacers haven't officially released their full 2019-20 preseason schedule yet but these couple of games in India, given the dates, would most likely tip-off the team's preseason slate.
For the latest updates on the Pacers' roster for their trip to India and the rest of the preseason, stay tuned to this page.
For more updates and stories on the NBA India Games 2019, you can follow NBA.com's page dedicated to the historic event.
