The Indiana Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season due to an Achilles injury, but things might not turn out to be as bad for the team as many are anticipating.
In a recent episode of the "Game Theory" podcast, The Athletic's Sam Vecenie noted that the Pacers, last season, had a +1.3 net rating when both Haliburton and Myles Turner (who signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason) were off the court.
"Last year, the Indiana Pacers in the regular season played about 1,100 minutes without Tyrese Haliburton or Myles Turner on the court... they were a +1.3. That's pretty good," Vecenie said.
Context means everything here as a lot of the non-Haliburton/Turner minutes were likely played in garbage time, during blowouts in either direction, and games at the end of the regular season when Indiana secured its spot in the playoffs. Still, this is not necessarily a small sample size, and it could be a sign that this team knows how to succeed even without the Wisconsin native.
Without Haliburton, the Pacers are not likely to compete for a championship next season. Even in a wide-open Eastern Conference, his absence may prove to be too much to overcome. He is the heartbeat of their offense, and he was the biggest reason for their recent success. However, this does not mean Indiana cannot make some noise and surprise some people in the basketball world.
The Pacers are going to aim to remain competitive without their star guard this season. It will be a tall task, but the team has proven they can be successful without him, and there is a real chance this will carry over into the new campaign.
How the Pacers will replace Tyrese Haliburton this season
It is not going to be easy, but the Pacers will have to find a way to keep moving forward without the Iowa State alum. The biggest change they are going to make in order to make this happen is to move Andrew Nembhard over to the point guard role full-time.
Nembhard is a natural point guard who essentially became the team's starting shooting guard because he was too good to keep as a backup. This should give Pacers fans some hope and confidence that he will be able to play well in this expanded role, especially since he has stepped up without Haliburton in the past.
It will be important for fans to remember that Nembhard is no Haliburton, and their games are completely different. Unlike Haliburton, the Canadian native is more of a ball-handler who excels in the half-court in a more traditional offense. He can push the tempo if needed, but he is not going to make the sudden and difficult readds that Haliburton does, especially at his level and efficiency. Still, there is a lot to like about him taking over the reins for a season, and a career year could be in line for him.
Furthermore, a lot of eyes will be on T.J. McConnell, who is one of the best backup point guards in the league. He has played an important role in Indiana since joining the team in 2019, and while his specific role may not change too much this season, he is arguably more important than ever.
With Nembhard taking on a bigger role, it will be even more important for McConnell to continue proving his importance and reliability. The Pacers do not have many point guard options beyond Nembhard, so the Pittsburgh native will have to be on his A-game every time he gets his number called.
The immediate outlook looks bleak for the Pacers, but there is still a lot to like about the team. Being without Haliburton will be tough for them, but as they have proven before, they are still not a team worth counting out regardless.