Getty Tyrese Haliburton vs. the Celtics
The Indiana Pacers are set to get a huge boost, with All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton expected to play on January 30 against the Boston Celtics after missing 10 of the previous 11 games with a hamstring injury.
ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that “there’s optimism that Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton will return to the lineup against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, sources told ESPN.”
Haliburton, who is averaging 23.6 points per game while shooting 49.6% from the field and 40% from three, is having a historic season as a facilitator. He currently is averaging a league-best 12.6 assists per game.
Historic Facilitating From Tyrese Haliburton
There have been 16 seasons in NBA history where a player has averaged at least 12 assists. John Stockton has 8 such seasons, Magic Johnson has 5, while Isiah Thomas, Kevin Johnson, and Kevin Porter have each accomplished the feat once.
If Haliburton can maintain this pace, he would be the first player to average 12 or more assists in a season in nearly 30 years. Stockton was the last player to do it when he averaged 12.3 assists for the Utah Jazz in 1994.
Diving into the NBA’s tracking data is where Haliburton’s stats get truly crazy. It is important to note that tracking stats only go back the past decade, to the 2013-14 season, so we don’t have data for those above-mentioned seasons that Stockton and Magic had. With that being said, Haliburton is on pace to have the most assist points created per game since the stat began being tracked.
@AOP_NBA | NBAPassing Stats
Russell Westbrook currently holds the record for a full season. In 2020 Westbrook generated 30.1 assist points per game with the Washington Wizards.
There may be no one on the Pacers who is benefitting more from Haliburton’s incredible season than center Myles Turner. According to PivotFade, Turner has been on the receiving end of 113 of Haliburton’s assists, far and away the most on the team.
PivotFadeHaliburton Passing Network
When taking a step backward, and comparing that to the rest of the league, the connection between Haliburton and Turner becomes even more apparent. Haliburton averages 3.4 assists per game to Turner, which is the most between any duo in the entire league.
Haliburton has been the engine that powers Indiana’s fast-paced offense all year. The Pacers average 26.8 points in transition per game, good for second in the league behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. Per Synergy Sports, Haliburton generates 1.8 points per possession plus assists PP(P+A) while in transition, which is in the 97th percentile in the league. When the offense is in the half court, he is just as impactful, generating 1.6 PP(P+A), which is in the 98th percentile.
Pacers Trade Deadline Speculation
Indiana has already made a huge splash by acquiring Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors this winter. However, according to Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, the Pacers may not be done.
Bailey reported that the Pacers could be looking to bolster their defense prior to the February 8 trade deadline. The Pacers currently give up 122.8 points per game, which is the third-worst mark in the entire league.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports recently wrote that Alex Caruso would cost “multiple first-round picks” for the Chicago Bulls to even “consider parting with.” While the steep asking price would make it difficult for Indiana, Caruso is among the league’s most elite defenders and would provide the Pacers with a huge boost on that end of the floor.