# How good can Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers be? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** basketball-nba\ **Created:** [January 4, 2024, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575 "2024-01-04T02:26:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2024, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/1 "2024-01-04T02:26:34Z")
The Indiana Pacers have been playing some exciting basketball, and Tyrese Haliburton is one of the main reasons why. He became only the third player in NBA history to have consecutive games with 20 points and 20 assists. The Pacers are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, and have beaten the Central Division-leading Milwaukee Bucks three out of four games. We even finished as the runner-up in the In-Season Tournament. Is it too early for me to get excited that this could be a good year for us? I hesitate to call us championship contenders, but we should at least be in contention for the playoffs unless the wheels fall off, right? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2024, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/2 "2024-01-04T03:10:05Z")
I’m not an NBA fan, except casually. If nothing else is on, I’ll tune in. That said, I’m an Indiana guy, born and raised. So I have at least a passing interest in the Pacers. Reggie Miller is my favorite player of all time. What I’ve seen if the Pacers has been exciting, though. Here’s hoping for a deep playoff run. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/3 "2024-01-04T15:29:33Z")
They are very gifted offensively and Haliburton is a superstar you can build around. That said the two times they’ve played us (Magic) their basket was basically a layup line, they can’t stop anybody. Hate to say it but they need a Draymond Green kinda guy, a defensive specialist they can anchor the defense around, to be real contenders. They definitely have the Bucks number though, if they meet in the playoffs that would be a great series. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/4 "2024-01-04T22:54:37Z")
In the first returns of All-Star voting, Haliburton leads all Eastern Conference guards, and it’s not really close; he has a 300,000 vote lead over second-place Damian Lillard. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/5 "2024-01-10T02:05:18Z")
In last night’s game against Boston, Tyrese slipped and fell and did the splits and ended up with a grade-1 strained hamstring. We just can’t have nice things. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/6 "2024-01-10T12:37:19Z")
It looked very painful, but it does not seem to be too bad. He should be back in a few weeks right? ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/7 "2024-01-13T23:29:59Z")
The Pacers are now an NBA-best 9-1 since Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/8 "2024-01-17T20:49:23Z")
And apparently they just got Siakam, without really giving up anything besides a ton of picks. They are a legit threat now. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/9 "2024-01-17T22:38:42Z")
I hope he likes it here and will re-sign at the end of the year. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/10 "2024-01-21T11:19:37Z")
Tyrese is setting a furious pace: [![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/853831517344497664/1198413872395198634/facebook_1705794519070_7154620774515914281.jpg?ex=65bed0e4&is=65ac5be4&hm=373f8bbeec2b0440de8198c43e1224aee2170a7c6a3ce27fe393b324709d141f&) ](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/853831517344497664/1198413872395198634/facebook_1705794519070_7154620774515914281.jpg?ex=65bed0e4&is=65ac5be4&hm=373f8bbeec2b0440de8198c43e1224aee2170a7c6a3ce27fe393b324709d141f&) ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2024, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/11 "2024-01-21T13:17:11Z")
Is he back now? ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/12 "2024-01-22T00:36:49Z")
Yeah, he came back in the Portland game, which was also Siakam’s debut with the Pacers. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2024, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/13 "2024-03-10T00:18:23Z")
SIxth man Bennedict Mathurin will have season-ending surgery on a torn labrum in his right shoulder. > **[Bennedict Mathurin injury: Pacers guard needs season-ending shoulder surgery...](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/bennedict-mathurin-injury-pacers-guard-needs-season-ending-shoulder-surgery-as-indiana-loses-top-bench-weapon/)** > > Mathurin averaged 14.5 points, four rebounds and two assists this season ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2024, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/14 "2024-03-10T17:09:10Z")
Haliburton is playing hurt isn’t he? because he is sucking, but he needs a minimum amount of games to be eligible for all nba and a super max contract. This all seems like a bad idea, though i sorta understand it from his pov. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-can-tyrese-haliburton-and-the-indiana-pacers-be/995575/15 "2024-04-02T00:09:42Z")
The Pacers have clinched a winning record and at _least_ a spot in the play-in tournament. It’s good to have something to look forward to!