Is there really a reason to believe that Tyrese Haliburton will come back from what's long been known as a career-altering injury as the same person? And, is there really a reason to keep Pascal Siakam just in the hopes that he can maintain his level of play as he gets deeper into his 30s, just to see if Haliburton can ever be the same?
The Indiana Pacers are in a tough situation right now. After being one win away from winning their first-ever NBA championship in June, they are near the bottom of the league standings right now.
At 2-14, Indiana owns the second-worst record in the East and the third-worst in the NBA. Additionally, their 107 offensive rating is the second-worst in the league, and their 119.4 defensive rating is the eighth-worst, according to Basketball-Reference.com. For some context, they ranked as the ninth and 13th in those categories, respectively, last season.
The Pacers look like a shell of their last season selves, and it's not hard to figure out why. Being without Haliburton, who is one of the best playmakers in the entire league, is making life incredibly difficult for everybody else on the team.
In theory, the Pacers will be in a good situation again once their star guard returns. But he's coming off an Achilles injury, which isn't some minor nuisance. There are some legitimate concerns that he may never return to form and be able to play the fast-paced style he is known for. And even if he does, it may take years for it to happen. By that point, a guy like Siakam may be out of his prime and on his last leg in the league.
Haliburton's injury has created some major problems for Indiana, and the team will have to figure things out if it wants to re-enter the title picture.
So what should the Pacers do?
Barring a specific trade request, the Pacers should not move on from Siakam, especially before Haliburton returns.
Would it technically be a smart move? Sure. The Cameroon native is playing incredible basketball right now, averaging 24.8 points, 7 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals, so trading him at this value could make sense.
However, he, Haliburton, and the fans deserve to see this through entirely. The Pacers were just one win away from a championship, largely due to the duo's success and chemistry together, so it's only right that the team lets them see how things play out.
As for Haliburton, there's no way to know for sure what his future looks like until he steps onto the court again. But he does have some things going for him, particularly his age.
When you look at the most notable players whose careers were negatively impacted by an Achilles injury (Kobe Bryant, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins, etc.), they were all either at least in their late-20s or 30s or were on the downside of their careers.
The Wisconsin native isn't even 26 years old yet. He will have plenty of time to recover from this injury and work things out again. Even if it takes some time, he should be able to at least possibly return to form and still have his peak years ahead of him.
Haliburton and the Pacers were dealt a bad hand, but the sky isn't falling. The team still has a bright future, and the Iowa State alum should have a real chance to re-establish himself as one of the best guards in the league. And no matter what, the Pacers need to keep their core together for as long as possible because another NBA Finals run could be on the horizon.