Everybody knew the Indiana Pacers' offense was going to look much weaker with Tyrese Haliburton on the shelf. But even so, the start to their season has been even more disappointing than most anticipated, and head coach Rick Carlisle just explained why.
“The lack of playmaking at the point position is a factor in the kind of shots that we’re getting," Carlisle said after the Pacers' 112-103 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
“Times right now are difficult and challenging. A lot of guys have extra responsibility they’ve never had before. We’ve got to absorb it," Carlisle says.
— Tony East (@TonyREast) November 6, 2025
On offensive struggles: “The lack of playmaking at the point position is a factor in the kind of shots that we’re getting.”
The Pacers' offense looks rough without Tyrese Haliburton
The Pacers are going to be without their star guard for the season as he recovers from an Achilles injury. But the team's adversity goes beyond that.
In addition to Haliburton, Indiana is dealing with injuries to Andrew Nembhard, who was meant to be the team's starting point guard this season in his absence, and T.J. McConnell, who is one of the best backup point guards in the game. Furthermore, Quenton Jackson and Kam Jones are sidelined with injuries as well. And RayJ Dennis, the team's only active traditional point guard at the moment, is playing through a back sprain.
So what does all of this mean? It means that the Pacers' depth, playmaking, and facilitation all take a massive hit. And given how important ball movement is to their system, this is not good.
Indiana is now playing Ben Sheppard at point guard. And while he can technically play the position, it says a lot about the team's state if he is essentially their best option at the position.
Plus, without their guards (and especially Haliburton), the Pacers' offense does not look as dynamic or fluid. They are still making a ton of passes each game, leading the NBA with 338.3 passes per game, but they are struggling to find the right shots, and it has negatively impacted their efficiency in a big way.
Furthermore, the Pacers are averaging just 23.8 assists per game two weeks into the season. Not only is this the fourth-worst in the league currently, but it is a massive drop from their 29.2 APG in 2024-25 and their league-leading 30.8 APG in 2023-24.
Without Haliburton, who is elite at playmaking and passing while also being a legitimate scoring threat, the Pacers' offense is struggling to open up. They are far less versatile on offense, and now a lot of the pressure is on Pascal Siakam to carry the load.
Indiana's offense looks like a mess. The team is averaging just 111.6 PPG, and their offensive rating of 106.6 ranks as the third-worst in the NBA. They are not making their shots, and it's clear that their offense looks out of sorts. Though they are still relying on ball movement and pushing the tempo, it hasn't led to as much success as usual without their engine out there on the court.
The Pacers should have an opportunity to get things back on track once they get healthy again. But if it wasn't clear before, it's especially clear now: they desperately miss Haliburton.