Following The Damned Pacers Through The Pits Of Hell

Tyrese Haliburton can only be a spectator to Indiana Pacers games this season, watching from the sidelines in outfits that make him look like an increasingly cool substitute teacher. Regardless, I have found myself thinking about his role on the so-very-almost NBA champions as they have sunk to a 6-21 record in his absence. A debate over Haliburton's stardom bloomed during last season's playoffs, fueled by The Athletic's player poll deeming him the most overrated player in the league (he received a truly overwhelming 13 votes of a possible 90). A psychedelic run of game-winners across the Pacers' four playoff series mostly quieted that debate; his Achilles turning into a Fruit Roll-Up in Game 7 of the Finals—he'd nailed a trio of deep threes inside the first five minutes—ruling him out of that game and this entire season, killed it off for the moment.

Haliburton threw in some sleepy, stinky performances during that ecstatic streak, but made it obvious he was most responsible for the Pacers' unfailing heart. The degree to which Haliburton powered the team's engine, too, is becoming clear. At their best, the Pacers raced back and forth with such speed that opposing teams always tired first, leaving them vulnerable to that last-minute comeback. Without Haliburton, the Pacers have found themselves skewered on the pointy end of close games they won consistently last season.