On Wednesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers met at a preseason game in Hilton Coliseum on Iowa State's campus. It was the first game Tyrese Haliburton had played since he tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
The Pacers came away victorious, winning 123-112, but there were some things that clearly stood out as priorities going into what may be the most consequential season in Pacers history. While so much of the focus was on Tyrese Haliburton's return, it may be better to look at the worries that won't be silenced by one performance, and instead, to tell tales about the things that made us raise an eyebrow.
Jarace Walker's breakout
Jarace Walker was incredibly impressive, dishing out 10 assists with only one turnover, including one dump-off to Jay Huff that came after Walker threw the ball off the backboard before tapping it to the cutting hHff.
Walker led the team in minutes with 28 and was a team high plus 18 in the plus-minus.
This was what Walker was always drafted to be: a connective playmaker who could both cover for the team's defensive lapses and help take on some of the passing load that Tyrese Halliburton has monopolized.
When the Pacers traded for Pascal Siakam, Walker was buried a little, and his development clearly took a hit. While one preseason game is not a good showing of what he will be or even can be, it is exciting to see that he has added to his skill set in a way that could earn him a rotation spot.
Return of a Shooter
Aaron Nesmith was the picture of efficiency, going seven of nine from the field and hitting four of his six threes to lead the team with 19 points in just 16 minutes.
Nesmith played only 45 games last year, missing so much time during a Pacers gap year that would have seen him get his shot volume up significantly. Now Nesmith is one of only two Pacers players that is locked in beyond two seasons from now.
His return to being an elite three-and-D option would give the Pacers the most well-rounded roster in the NBA, and the perfect complement to their three stars.
Final Thoughts
While there is more to be said about Ivica Zubac and Tyrese Haliburton, as well as the small-ball lineups that the Pacers focused on often playing Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker together.
Those stories will come later on, as they deserve more in-depth analysis.
It feels odd to put any faith in preseason, and yet it feels so important to do so here. The Pacers dominated a team that is built very similarly to them and completely controlled the paint, which is an area that they had not specialized in before.
It is wonderful to see that this team is still evolving.
It's even more wonderful to see basketball back on the screen, and even more wonderful again that this is just an appetizer for what is to come.
Welcome back to relevance, Pacers fans.
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