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As the Indiana Pacers struggle at the start of the season, former NBA player Evan Turner has raised concerns about star point guard Tyrese Haliburton's skill level. Last season, the Pacers surprised many by reaching the Eastern Conference Finals as a sixth seed, finishing with a 47-35 record. Despite being swept by the Boston Celtics in the third round, expectations were high for the team this year.
However, the Pacers have begun the season poorly, sitting at 1-3, with Haliburton's performance varying from game to game. In a recent 119-115 loss to the Orlando Magic, the two-time All-Star came close to a triple-double, recording 19 points, nine rebounds, and ten assists, but shot just 40% from the field, marking his fourth consecutive game under 45%.
Haliburton's performance
In that same matchup, Haliburton's performance was overshadowed by Magic forward Paolo Banchero, who had a career night with 50 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists while shooting 61.5%, leading his team to victory.
Turner, who was an assistant coach with the Celtics from 2020 to 2021, questioned Haliburton's status as the franchise player for Indiana. "Adulting is acknowledging that Tyrese is mid," Turner remarked.
Haliburton's stats
After four games, Haliburton is averaging 14.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.3 three-pointers, with shooting percentages of 33.9% overall and 26.5% from beyond the arc. For the Pacers to replicate last season's success, he will need to significantly improve his shooting efficiency. Haliburton himself acknowledged feeling off to start his fifth year in the league. "No," he responded when asked if he feels like himself on the court. However, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle expressed "zero concern" about Haliburton finding his rhythm.
After a rough start, Haliburton's shooting from three has improved, going 8-for-18 (44.4%) over the last two games after struggling with a 1-for-16 (6.25%) performance in the first two. He also notched his first double-digit assist game on Monday, a category he led last season with an average of 10.9 assists per game.
Despite Indiana's three-game losing streak, Haliburton seems to be showing signs of improvement. The Pacers will face another tough test on Wednesday when they host the undefeated Celtics (4-0).
