Until the beginning of January, Tyrese Haliburton was on cloud nine. Or in the stars, by confirming his All-Star status with, the icing on the cake, a first start. In addition, over the first thirty games of the season, he averaged 24.9 points and 12.7 assists, and the Pacers reached the NBA Cup final, against the Lakers.
The point guard was the new darling of the league, the new sensation, having put Indiana back on the map for the general public. In short, everything was fine. Except that once at the top, you either stay or go back down. And he knew the second option.
A break to quickly forget
It starts with an injury, which leaves him in the infirmary for almost three weeks. He came back too quickly because he wanted to avoid missing too many matches and thus going under the guillotine of 65 matches, which would deprive him of bonuses of several million dollars in the future.
Then, after the All-Star Game, there was a terrible period of 3-point awkwardness. “Ups and downs like that happen in a season but this is the longest period I have faced. The key is to stay true to who I am and it will happen on its own.” he confides for The Athletic. “I'm such a perfectionist that it only takes one or two failed shots for me to panic. So when it lasts, then I want to correct it as quickly as possible. »
For three matches, things have improved for the double All-Star, who is still impatient. “I think it takes time. I think my level is the one I had before my injury, when I was one of the best in the league at the end of matches. I will continue to be that player. The thing is, I want it to happen now. I want to play my best basketball right now. »
New pressure, fatigue and the arrival of Pascal Siakam
How can we explain that Tyrese Haliburton went from heaven to limbo in a matter of weeks? Rick Carlisle offers two explanations. “When you start in the All-Star Game, a lot of things change. The starters are more monitored by defenses, so he has to manage that,” begins his coach before discussing the transfer of Pascal Siakam, who arrived during his absence in January. “He doesn’t shoot as much because of Siakam’s presence. »
A new status to assume and an All-Star from Toronto who comes to help him have shaken up the season of the Pacers star. We must not forget the fatigue, because he participated in the World Cup with Team USA last summer.
“I haven’t stopped since the summer and there was the mid-season tournament,” he confirms. “But I’m 24. I was made for this. I don't really think about rest. People tell me I should rest a match, but I don't want to. I want to play as much as possible. »
With the playoffs coming up, Tyrese Haliburton is still as motivated despite months as physically and mentally busy. “All young players experience this. They learn with experience, on the job,” recalls Rick Carlisle. “We help him as much as possible, we do everything we can to protect him on and off the field. This is our franchise player. And every day is a new day. »
| Tyrese Haliburton | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | BAG | 58 | 30 | 47.2 | 40.9 | 85.7 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 5.3 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 13.0 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 77 | 35 | 47.3 | 41.4 | 84.2 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 8.2 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 15.3 |
| 2021-22 * | BAG | 51 | 34 | 45.7 | 41.3 | 83.7 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 7.4 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 14.3 |
| 2021-22 * | IND | 26 | 36 | 50.2 | 41.6 | 84.9 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 9.6 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 17.5 |
| 2022-23 | IND | 56 | 34 | 49.0 | 40.0 | 87.1 | 0.6 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 10.5 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 20.7 |
| 2023-24 | IND | 59 | 32 | 47.8 | 36.1 | 85.6 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 11.2 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 20.4 |
| Total | 250 | 33 | 47.9 | 39.4 | 85.7 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 8.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 17.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
