2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball

Negative: Over-reliance on Tyrese Haliburton

It has been stated before by many that too much of a good thing can be bad, and in the Indiana Pacers’ case, this is true with their reliance on Tyrese Haliburton.

While it goes without saying that Tyrese Haliburton is the undisputed heart and soul of the Pacers organization, the Pacers seem lost without him, as indicated by the Celtics game.

While the team was expected to lose, they were not expected to lose by as much as they did, with the end result making fans realize just how important Haliburton is to this Pacers team.

This is a topic that I have discussed before, as just last season, I compared 10 games of the Pacers with Haliburton to 10 games with him on the shelf, and the results were evidence of his importance to the team.

Despite the Pacers improving around the edges, this team still goes as far as Haliburton can take them, and without him, they would undoubtedly be the worst team in the NBA by a wide margin.

While backups TJ McConnell and Andrew Nembhard are not bad options at all in a pinch, it goes without saying that they are not Tyrese Haliburton and cannot replicate his contributions at all.

This is why I have been a strong advocate for Haliburton as the best point guard in the Eastern Conference. He seems to hold a strong case as perhaps the most crucial and impactful player for his team.

Consistently, he demonstrates his reliability in clutch moments, stepping up when the team needs him most and being the guy to do the dirty work. The recent loss to Indiana underscores a vital point: the Indiana Pacers’ success often relies on how far Tyrese Haliburton can carry them, and this dependency might pose a concern for the future.

While depending on a star player during tough times is not inherently problematic, it does raise concerns when that player becomes the sole reliable figure, with no one else stepping up to share the burden or responsibility when times get tough, as was seen in the Celtics game.