There are a few things more exciting than a first. First days of school required both the stomach to survive a scary situation and the joy of knowing you got to hang out with your friends again, even if class was annoying.
The first game of the season is no different. There's this floating feeling of living both on the verge of a breakout season and a return to Finals contention, and this creeping worry that nothing will work out and that even the strongest fandom will be questioned.
It's scary, and yet we all live for it. With the Indiana Pacers starting up their season, there's so much to look out for, so much to be excited about, and so much to be scared about.
Why don't we try to look at it as best we can ahead of their matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans?
How high can Tyrese Haliburton fly?
The last time we saw Tyrese play, he was pushing the alleged super team Oklahoma City Thunder to a Game 7, where Haliburton dominated the first quarter before his devastating Achilles injury.
His preseason has been phenomenal, but it is still worth a second glance at whether or not he can regain his top-10 player status. The Pacers have built an incredibly well-rounded roster that could clearly survive Haliburton taking time to work his way back. What they can't survive, however, is him never reaching that level again.
There's no reason to believe this is the case, at least not at this point in the season, but growth is not linear, and his return may be felt a few months into the season when endurance is questioned more than excitement.
What is the role of Ivica Zubac?
Zubac is the only real jewel of a gap year in which the Pacers found themselves as one of the bottom four teams in all of basketball. Instead of returning their nearly title-winning team with a talented rookie, they have a 30-year-old center.
The fact that this is not an apocalyptic failure speaks to how good Zubac is.
However, it is still worth wondering who he can be as a Pacer.
Is this his first year as an all-star? The new international minimums probably help him to reach that goal. Maybe that's even aiming too low. Could he become the best center in a conference led by Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, and Karl-Anthony Towns? That seems possible.
Is this the year for Jarace Walker to break out?
We've been saying this since he got drafted, but this team needs a ninth man in the worst possible way, and any additional playmaking to be had while TJ McConnell is out is worth its weight in gold.
The bar is on the ground. Hopefully, this is the year it works out.
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