Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Called Out by Kendrick Perkins For Frustrating Performances

Matt Levine | 2 Hours Ago

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers picked up a massive win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday to improve their record to 7-10 on the new season. But even with this victory, the year has been a bit frustrating for Indiana.

They have yet to show any form of consistency from game to game, especially on the defensive end of the floor. It's led to them dropping games that they should have won and overall discontent throughout the locker room over their performance.

But one main reason for the struggles of the Pacers has been the up and down play from star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton has seen his play drop well below his normal capability and it's caused all sorts of problems for the Pacers on the floor.

Through 17 games on the year, Haliburton has averaged 15.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting only 30.7 percent from beyond the 3-point line this season, a steep decline from last year.

In comparison, Haliburton averaged 20.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 10.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game last season over 69 games. The guard also shot 36.4 percent from distance last year.

The guard has had a few too many poor performances this year and it's starting to get noticed outside the Pacers locker room. NBA analyst and media personality Kendrick Perkins took to social media to relay his thoughts on the Pacers guard, calling him out in the process.

"I think it’s time to have that conversation about Tyrese Haliburton."

I think it’s time to have that conversation about Tyrese Haliburton.

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) November 23, 2024

To Haliburton's credit, he played a little better in the win over the Wizards. His final stat line came in at 21 points, four rebounds, nine assists, and two steals.

However, for the Pacers to reach their goals for the season, they are going to need Haliburton to get back to being his dominant self. Indiana reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season, with Haliburton taking charge in dominating on the court.

The guard has been dealing with some small injuries this season which has likely hampered his play. But he has pushed back on that to not make an excuse for it.

"It's part of it," Haliburton said. "It's part of basketball. I just have to keep trusting myself, working hard and trusting my teammates. And I'll figure it out. ... I'll put my head down, keep working and I'll figure it out."

No matter what the reason is, Indiana needs Haliburton to figure it out. This is a gritty team but without their star, their chances drastically take a heavy dip downward.

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