The Indiana Pacers' offense has looked horrible to begin the 2025-26 NBA season without Tyrese Haliburton.
They are struggling to score consistently, they are horribly inefficient (their 39.6 FG% ranks as the worst in the NBA by a good amount), and they just look like a shell of their normally great offense.
The Pacers' offensive identity has mostly stayed the same. They are still pushing the tempo and moving the ball around. But without Haliburton out there, it doesn't look pretty, and the results are confirming that. A lot of this isn't entirely the team's fault because of all the injuries they have dealt with, even beyond Haliburton, but it's still a struggle.
Perhaps most notably, though, Indiana's three-point shooting has not been good at all. According to NBA.com, their 29.8% shooting from deep is the second-worst in the league. The Dallas Mavericks, who are shooting 29.5% from beyond the arc, are the only team worse than them. However, they are attempting just 32.6 three-point field goals per game to Indiana's 39.2.
The Pacers are shooting threes at a high rate and are essentially not making any of them. This should improve once they get healthy again, but even so, this will likely continue to be a problem for the team until it gets its star guard back on the floor.
Tyrese Haliburton is the Pacers' offensive engine
Haliburton is crucial to Indiana's offensive success as the perfect point guard in its system. He is one of the best playmakers and facilitators in the league. The Wisconsin native always sets his opponents up perfectly, whether it be in transition or in the half-court.
Plus, he is incredibly efficient as well as he averaged just 2.1 turnovers to 10.2 assists in his first three full seasons with the Pacers. Given how fast-paced Indiana's offense is, this is incredible, especially given how much is on his plate.
Because of his playmaking and overall gravity, Haliburton makes it much easier for his teammates to find their spot on the floor and shoot the ball well. But even more than that, the 25-year-old is an amazing three-point shooter himself, shooting a career 39.2% from beyond the arc.
For both direct and indirect reasons, Haliburton's absence (as well as Myles Turner's departure) has weakened Indiana's threat from the perimeter. Now, everybody else on the team (especially Pascal Siakam) has a lot more pressure on them to create their own shots or try to do their best Haliburton impression and set everybody else up. And as they have quickly found out, not having the two-time All-NBA guard makes it much easier for defenses to key in on them and make their life much more difficult.
The Pacers' offense will likely work itself out by the end of the season. They will get healthier, and they will eventually find their groove as the season progresses. However, it's clear that they are going to miss Haliburton no matter what. And until he is back on the court, Indiana's ceiling will continue to have a limit.