The Indiana Pacers had to play all of last year without Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton had one of the greatest individual clutch-shooting playoff runs in the history of the NBA in 2024-25. He tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the Finals, and Indiana lost the title.
Since he got hurt on the last possible day of the season, Haliburton missed all of last year. Without him, the Pacers won just 19 games. It was a lost year without him leading the offense. His return is now seen as the biggest offseason move in the East.
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton’s Return Seen as the Biggest Offseason Move in the Eastern Conference
Eric Nehm of The Athletic believes that Haliburton’s return is the biggest offseason move in the East. He believes that Haliburton can help the Pacers’ offense return to an elite level.
“Last season, the Pacers won 19 games. If Haliburton comes back and turns them back into the machine that made back-to-back East finals, I’m not sure any one move could be viewed as more impactful,” Nehm writes.
When Haliburton was running the offense, Indiana had the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league. They were really good at taking care of the ball while being able to push it ahead before the defense could get set. That’s part of what made them so successful in the playoffs.
Without Haliburton last year, the Pacers had the third-worst offense in the league. They dearly missed not only his ability to pass the ball, but also his outside shooting. Without the threat of that, teams were able to focus more on stopping Pascal Siakam.
How Haliburton is able to return from his injury will be the biggest factor in how good the Pacers are this season. If he is the same person he was for most of the playoff run, Indiana has a real shot to contend for a championship. The upgrades the team has made in the offseason were strong, too.
Indiana Can be a Team That Wins the East
Bringing back Haliburton isn’t the only change that the Pacers are having. They will have Ivica Zubac for more than five games, which is all he played after acquiring him at the trade deadline. He missed most of the second half of the year with a broken rib.
Zubac gives the Pacers more defense than Myles Turner did when he was the starting center. He also gives them more of a paint threat than Turner was. Indiana started five different centers last season, including Zubac. Developing chemistry between him and Haliburton will be a big plot for this season.
The addition of Kelly Oubre off the bench gives Indiana more flexibility at the wing position. He is someone who can score and play some solid defense on the perimeter. Indiana is going to be much better than they were a year ago.
Pacers Getting Tyrese Haliburton Back Seen as Swing Move in the East