Pacers Should Be Massively Concerned With Tyrese Haliburton's Continued Struggles

Valentina Martinez | 6 Hours Ago

Nov 13, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball against Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) and center Moritz Wagner (21) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton has struggled to start the season. The loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday marked the third time in just 11 games that Haliburton failed to reach double-scoring figures.

It's certainly a concerning trend for the All-Star. On Sunday against the New York Knicks, many thought Haliburton had broken through his scoring slump after he tallied 35 points and 14 assists.

However, Haliburton once again regressed against the Magic. Haliburton scored nine points on 3-of-14 shooting. From the three, the guard was 2-of-8. Though he recorded 11 assists, Haliburton racked up eight of those in the first quarter.

Haliburton also had four turnovers against Orlando. It's a nightmarish trend that, if not addressed soon, could become detrimental to the Indiana offense.

In 2023, the first single-digit scoring game for Haliburton didn't come until Dec. 18. He had just six all last season. In 2024, he already has three. Haliburton has certainly acknowledged that there is a concerning trend to open the season.

“What’s the right mindset to have when something like this is going on?” Haliburton told Tony East of Forbes. “It’s easy for me to look in the mirror and be like, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ I get in the gym, get more shots. I do more, I work out harder, I’m doing all these things. But the reality is, why wouldn’t it happen? I want to be great. So challenges are going to come. I’m going to miss shots. I went through this same thing last year, it just happened to be in the middle of the year.”

Haliburton believes his slump will eventually come to an end because of the law of averages. His teammates have continued to encourage him to shoot the ball.

“I’m just trying to stay confident,” he said. “I’m not gonna stop. Eventually, [they’re] gonna fall because of the law of averages.”

Haliburton is averaging 16 points and 8.5 assists per game. Last season, he averaged 20.1 points and 10.9 assists per game.

“Shots are going to fall. But just trying to play the right way and impact the game in different ways,” Haliburton said. “But as far as making and missing shots, that’s part of the game. That’ll take care of itself, and I’m just going to keep shooting it with confidence.”

Haliburton may be having a slow start to the season, but it's only a matter of time until his eventual breakthrough transpires.

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