The Indiana Pacers won 47 regular-season games last year and made a surprising playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers, who open their season at the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, didn’t lose any starters or key reserves during the offseason.Yet the oddsmakers and bettors don’t believe the Pacers can do that again. Defending champion Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Miami are more likely to reach the NBA Finals than the Pacers, according to the betting lines.Reserve guard Ben Sheppard knows the team must prove itself all over again.”It’s important to remember that last year doesn’t matter,” Sheppard said. “All the success we had last year, that doesn’t matter anymore. It’s a new season.”The Pacers will continue to be the fast-paced, high-scoring unit that led the league at 123.3 points per game. Power forward Pascal Siakam averaged a team-high 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists after being acquired from Toronto, then signed a four-year max contract in June.Two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton (20.1 points, league-high 10.9 assists) conducts the offensive show and center Myles Turner (17.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks) anchors the defense.”It’s going to take a lot of work, but I think we have the talent and the characteristics to be able to do that,” Siakam said of another deep playoff run. “There’s going to be a lot of ups and downs and we’ve got to focus on our task and improve every day, but I do think we have the pieces.”Their opening night opponent would just like to experience winning at a more normal rate after enduring the worst season in franchise history. The Pistons won just 14 games, convincing owner Tom Gores to clean house.General manager Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams were fired. Former New Orleans executive Trajan Langdon was named president of basketball operations and J.B. Bickerstaff was chosen as Williams’ replacement after getting fired by the Cavs.