The Indiana Pacers were in a spot like this 11 years ago, after Paul George’s nasty leg injury. The difference is that their franchise player is definitely out for the entire season this time. This gives the team clarity, at least: They’ll be as competitive as they can be without Tyrese Haliburton, and they’ll learn more about their young players. Can Bennedict Mathurin do what Rick Carlisle wants him to do as a full-time starter? Can Andrew Nembhard handle increased usage while maintaining his defensive intensity? Will 2025-26 be Jarace Walker’s breakout year? Will it be Johnny Furphy’s?
If there is a silver lining to Haliburton’s absence, it is that Indiana is the rare team coming off a surprisingly deep run that will not be expected to duplicate it. The Pacers of recent seasons have played a distinctive style because of their star’s distinctive style. They’ve built their roster around him, too. In this gap year, they’ll need to do things differently — they’ll be “a more physical defensive team” and Pascal Siakam will be “more of a primary ballhandler,” according to Carlisle — but the hope is that they can continue to be more than the sum of their parts. With Myles Turner off in Milwaukee, too, simply making the playoffs would be a success story.
The State of Play
Last year: Early on, the Pacers couldn’t guard anybody and didn’t look like themselves on offense. After a 9-14 start, they got healthier and turned everything around. The second half of Haliburton’s season looked a lot like the first half of his 2023-24 season, so he made All-NBA again (and Siakam made the All-Star Game). Indiana finished 50-32, then it ousted the Bucks in five games, upset the 64-win Cavaliers in five games and beat the Knicks in six to advance to the NBA Finals. Before tearing his Achilles in Game 7 against the Thunder, a basketball tragedy of the highest order, Haliburton put together a playoff run for the ages — in every single series, he sealed a crazy comeback victory with a game-winning shot.
The offseason: After spending the first 10 years of his…
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