Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton Continued Slump Is Holding Indiana Back

The Pacers need better play from their All-NBA point guard.

Dec 27, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Tyrese Haliburton signed the most expensive contract in the history of the Indiana Pacers following the 2022-23 season. He signed a five-year $260 million extension with the franchise. After the Pacers made the decision to trade for him, they invested a lot of money in him.

For the first few months after he signed that extension, it looked like he was worth every penny. He was playing like the best point guard in the league as he led the Pacers to the NBA Cup Finals in the first year of the tournament. Then, everything changed when he got hurt.

Playing against the Celtics, Haliburton strained his hamstring. He missed three weeks, save for one game against the Portland Trail Blazers, and was never the same afterward. His numbers took a massive dip. Still, he was able to make third-team All-NBA.

Before the injury, Haliburton was averaging 24.2 points, 12.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in 32 games. Following the injury, he averaged just 17.3 points, 9.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. Then, he got hurt again in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics, and that ended his season.

Haliburton has not played as well this season either. He is averaging just 17.4 points, 8.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. Those are even worse than the numbers he posted after the injury a season ago. For how much money he is making, the Pacers need him to play better.

Indiana leans on Haliburton to lead the tempo of the offense. He is the main driver of the offense, especially in transition. When the Pacers were playing their best a season ago, they were the fastest-playing team in the NBA. That has not been the case this year, as they rank just seventh in the league.

Perhaps the most troubling statistic is his shooting percentage. Haliburton is shooting just 43% from the field. He's also taking the fewest number of shots in a full season with the Pacers. He's not being as aggressive, and when he is, he's missing shots. That's a bad recipe for a team that relies so heavily on his success.

If Haliburton can't turn his play around, the Pacers are not going to make any noise in the playoffs. There's a chance that they even miss the playoffs. His defense is still horrible, as he's never been a good defender. Still, he's been able to offset that with strong offense. That hasn't even been the case this season.

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