After their 120-111 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night, the Indiana Pacers have won three straight, tying their longest winning streak of the season so far. They are also now 13-15 and own the No. 8 seed in the East. It is still not where they want to be, but there is no denying that the Pacers are finally starting to at least slightly resemble their 2023-24 selves.
Tyrese Haliburton, who has had his fair share of ups and downs this season, shed some light on the Pacers' hot streak. The Wisconsin native said the returns of Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard helped get them back on track defensively. Additionally, in doing so, Haliburton reminded everybody that the Pacers still do not have Aaron Nesmith back on the court, who will provide a major boost upon his return.
"They're two of our best on-ball defenders," Haliburton said. "People are pretending like we're not missing anybody. We were missing those guys, Double-A (Nesmith) and both of our backup bigs are out. From the world, they were acting like we were fully healthy. It's good to get our guys back. I can't wait to get Double-A back, keep adding to our depth and being ready to go."
Tyrese Haliburton cites reinforcements as reasons for Pacers' improvements
There is no denying that the Pacers were missing Nembhard and Sheppard during their absences. Though the Pacers have a deep bench, it still proved difficult for the team, who are still working to right the ship, to constantly rely on players like Johnny Furphy and Quenton Jackson, though they both looked solid at times.
Once the Pacers get Nesmith back in the fold, they will be as close to fully healthy as possible. Unfortunately for them, the 25-year-old, who has been out of action since early November, still has no timetable for his return from an ankle injury. Regardless, there is no doubt that Nesmith provides a lot of value to the Pacers on both sides of the ball.
Nesmith is the Pacers' best wing defender. For a team that already struggles on the defensive side of the court, especially ball-dominant wings, being without Nesmith is a tough obstacle for them to overcome. It is also extra difficult for the Pacers given the amount of injuries they have had to deal with, which is exactly why Haliburton is correct in his assessment. Getting Nembhard and Sheppard back is huge for the team.
With or without Nesmith, the Pacers have a tough schedule ahead of them regardless. Before the turn of the calendar, Indiana will match up against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Boston Celtics (twice), and the Milwaukee Bucks. Over the next couple of weeks, the Pacers will have a good opportunity to prove that their hot streak is truly a sign of brighter days ahead.