Dec 2, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Rodney Stuckey (2) drives to the basket against Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic in the second quarter at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers are currently only a game and a half out of the eighth seed in the East and have everyone except George Hill back healthy. Considering how bad the team’s record could be right now, that is an enviable position.

Unfortunately, the Pacers have just started an awful stretch of the schedule. In fact, this 10-game stretch is difficult enough that even the most-optimistic fans would have hard time expecting the Pacers to even go 3-7.

The situation started off bad when Indiana coughed up a lead after an encouraging first-half performance in Phoenix. That was a game that it looked like the Pacers could win, but now the team is already 0-1 in this tough time — and there isn’t an easy win in sight.

Tonight, the Indiana Pacers head to Portland, where only two teams have beaten the Trail Blazers all year. And with all due respect to Frank Vogel’s boys, the two squads that have gone to Oregon and won — the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies — are miles better than that Pacers.

After that, Indiana closes out its road trip against the 9-9 Sacramento Kings. While that is a winnable game, DeMarcus Cousins will likely be back from his illness and it’s always tough to get up for the final game of West Coast swing.

Back home gets no easier: The Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Trail Blazers all come to town in between a quick flight that will take Indiana to Toronto to face the Raptors, which have been the best team in the Eastern Conference so far this year.

Can the Pacers win any of those four games? Of course — they beat the Mavericks in Dallas after all. But should you expect them to? Probably not.

The easiest matchup in the next 10 follows: a home match with the Los Angeles Lakers. With Kobe in town chucking away, the Pacers’ defense may be able to overpower the lowly Lakers, but even they have shown the state of Western Conference superiority, going 4-1 on their recent road trip against East teams.

Then it’s back across the Mississippi for the Pacers, where they have to deal with the surging Denver Nuggets in the thin Rocky Mountain air and then trifle with the Clippers on Chris Paul’s home turf.

Yeesh.

Here’s a full recap:

@ PHX (L, 116-99)

@ POR

@ SAC

vs ATL

vs LAC

@ TOR

vs POR

vs LAL

@ DEN

@ LAC

It’s a shame really. The deep-bench players have done such an admirable job building a respectable record while the starters and key reserves mended their wounds. And now, with everyone healthy, the team is likely to go through its least-successful 10-game stretch of the season.

Hopefully, the guys can keep the hope and pull out a few unexpected wins, going closer to 5-5 in this period than 1-9. But if things go sideways, Vogel and the team leaders will have to deal with a locker room full of guys who kept the team on the rails but now have to watch from the bench as the season starts to slip away.

By the time this stretch is over, we will know a lot more about this team. And as Christmas approaches, we will know whether this is a salvageable season or a ship on fire.