The Indiana Pacers are going to be at a major disadvantage without Tyrese Haliburton this season. In order for them to remain competitive this season, everything needs to go perfectly for them. Unfortunately for the team, even though there is still a lot to like about their outlook, this is going to prove to be too much to overcome.
There is no denying exactly how important Haliburton has been to Indiana's recent success. He is a big reason they made it to two consecutive conference finals and were one win away from winning it all in 2025.
Unfortunately for him and the Pacers, he suffered an Achilles injury that will sideline him for the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season.
In his place, the Pacers will slide Andrew Nembhard over to the point full-time. There are reasons to be excited about this since the Canadian native has stepped up in Haliburton's absence before. However, fans are quickly going to realize that Nembhard is no Haliburton, and the team is going to take a major step back this season.
The Pacers will struggle to compete without Tyrese Haliburton
Haliburton is essential to Indiana's success for multiple reasons.
The Wisconsin native is one of the best facilitators and playmakers in the NBA today. He is able to improvise and set up his teammates in high-speed situations. This quick decision-making, as well as his elite efficiency and security (10.2 assists to 2.1 turnovers through his three full seasons in Indiana), make him the absolute perfect point guard in the team's system.
Without Haliburton on the court, the Pacers' offense is going to look much less dominant.
Nembhard is more than capable of leading the way for a season. However, unlike Haliburton, he is not as good at pushing the tempo and facilitating at a high level. Instead, he is better as a ball-handler who can excel in a more traditional half-court offense.
This can work, but it will also cause Indiana to lose a lot of its offensive dynamic, which is far from ideal.
Furthermore, without the Iowa State alum running the point, it is going to be much more difficult for the Pacers to generate offense. Instead, they will have to rely much more heavily on having players create their own shots. This should be good for players like Bennedict Mathurin, whose bread-and-butter is his iso scoring. However, most players on the Pacers' roster benefit from being set up by Haliburton, which means they are all likely in for a bit of a down year offensively.
Additionally, while it won't be as direct an impact, the Pacers' defense is going to take a big hit without Haliburton as well.
While he is no lockdown defender, Haliburton is no slouch either and has shown great improvements in this area. Plus, with him on the shelf, Nembhard (the team's best perimeter defender) will be forced to take on a much bigger role on offense. This will, in theory, negatively impact his defensive game. And, given how important his defense is to Indiana's success, this is not a great situation for the team either.
The Pacers are going to struggle without Haliburton. Nobody is doubting that. However, the team is about to come to a rude awakening when they realize exactly how hard it will be to navigate through life without their star guard.
Indiana has a chance to make some noise in a wide-open Eastern Conference this season. Whether they will, however, all depends on how the team will adjust and step up with their backs against the wall.