Tyrese Haliburton's latest social media message gives fans mixed feelings

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton recently shared a three-word message on his Instagram story: "I miss basketball."

Haliburton suffered a devastating Achilles injury during Indiana's Game 7 matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. Not only did the Pacers lose the game, but they have officially lost their All-NBA guard for all of next season.

Though the Pacers still have a talented roster without Haliburton, his absence is going to be felt. The Pacers still have a bright future, but their outlook for next season mostly looks grim. Regardless, while the Wisconsin native's injury is something that will impact the team and the fanbase for a long time, there is still a light at the end of the tunnel, and it seems like the fans know that.

"His comeback is gonna shock the world the pacers will be your 2027 nba champions," one fan wrote on X.

"Basketball misses Hali. We can't wait for his comeback. It's gonna be epic 🔥😤, another fan wrote.

"U got this bro," a third fan wrote on X.

The Pacers are in for a strange year without Tyrese Haliburton

The Pacers have made two consecutive conference finals appearances and made an NBA Finals run for the first time in over two decades. Unfortunately for them, that streak likely comes to an end next season.

In addition to being without Haliburton, Indiana must also navigate life without Myles Turner, who signed with the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this offseason. The team is going to look different, and the system will probably be completely different as well. As it stands, it is fair to assume the Pacers are going to go through their fair share of ups and downs. While not impossible, a third straight deep playoff run will be very challenging for Indiana.

Regardless of how it stands at the moment, there is still a lot to like about the Pacers' outlook. They still have an incredibly young and talented team, even without Haliburton. Furthermore, they have one of the best head coaches in the game in Rick Carlisle. This team is built on resilience, and they will likely keep that same mentality next year.

With Haliburton on the shelf, the Pacers will rely a lot more heavily on Andrew Nembhard. The Canadian native has long played a complementary role, but it remains to be seen how he does as the main guy. Next season, he and everybody else will find out.

Though it is not ideal, Nembhard is a solid secondary option as the team's point guard. He has shown that he can run the show, just not on a full-time basis. The offense is going to look different with him leading the way, but there is potential for it to work.

Once Haliburton makes his return, the Pacers should be able to re-establish themselves as legitimate title contenders. Until then, however, they will continue to work with what they have. It may seem bleak at the moment, but the future is bright in Indiana. Once they get their star guard back, they will have a great opportunity to shock the basketball world yet again.