Indiana Pacers: Imagining a Tyrese Haliburton-Jaden Ivey backcourt

The Indiana Pacers may have managed to secure their future point guard in Tyrese Haliburton, but there’s no doubt that the upcoming draft boasts another high-ceiling player who could be a reasonable get for the franchise if they land a high draft pick. Ask any Pacers fan out there, and chances are they would want Jaden Ivey to be their dream target.

Fortunately, with the Pacers having one of their worst seasons ever, the franchise should be in contention for landing a top-five pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, which is reckoned to be just as good as the previous one, if not better.

With the Purdue standout’s draft stock getting higher every day, many teams would have their sights on the guard as they prep out for the future. For Indiana, having the chance to nab him would give the Pacers an electric backcourt to build around for years to come.

The Indiana Pacers should set their sights on drafting Jaden Ivey to pair with Tyrese Haliburton

Haliburton’s acumen as a playmaker in both the open floor and in the half-court is undeniable, and his scoring has continued to improve from all areas. Those facets have already turned the Indiana Pacers into a high-scoring and quick-paced unit, but that could even be amplified by hypothetically incorporating Jaden Ivey into the equation.

Between the shooting guard’s creativity as a scorer and athleticism and Haliburton’s top-tier playmaking, the Pacers will finally be able to live up to their moniker while being an unpredictable bunch.

Not only that, but both guards are also great defenders on their own, ramping up Indiana’s perimeter defense which has been inconsistent in that regard after relying on oft-injured backcourt pairings in recent years. It certainly helps that Ivey is a very instinctive and smart defender who is just as good at disrupting lanes as he is in handling one-on-one coverages.

Ivey’s jump shot is not the most reliable, but he has shown ample development in that department to warrant the belief that he could improve in the big league. His relative weakness on that end, however, is easily trumped by his eye-popping finishing inside with his leaping ability, quickness, and length.

Surrounded by shooters like Chris Duarte and Buddy Hield, Haliburton and Ivey will be especially dangerous in fast-break opportunities. You can already conjure so many mental pictures of Ivey catching lob passes from Haliburton.

While counting your chickens before they hatch will irk the more reality-grounded fans, solely dwelling on the present is evidently not the direction of the franchise. With the Indiana Pacers having a golden chance at angling for a better future in the upcoming draft, it’s never too early to think about the possibilities.

And the possibility of drafting Jaden Ivey to pair with Tyrese Haliburton is not your typical dystopian thought like before—for once, there is an actual chance of it coming to fruition.