With Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers see their future… in fast motion

In a long and very interesting article, The Ringer delves into the Indianapolis franchisecurrently in 3rd place in the East (6 wins – 4 losses), with Tyrese Haliburton as pack leader.

We can say that the exchange between the playmaker and Domantas Sabonis worked rather well for both camps, the Kings having finally returned to the playoffs following the Lithuanian’s transplant while the Pacers can dream of a bright future with the playmaker, who shakes the whole club. On the field but also off it.

A completely redefined face

“We had a very serious group before”explains GM, Chad Buchanan. “But it lacked personality. They came, they worked but there wasn’t much spark. »

The sparks are now Tyrese Haliburton who is responsible for creating them. With the most efficient attack at the start of the season (122 points scored on 100 possessions) and the 3rd pace (103.4 possessions per game), just behind the Wizards and the Hawks, the leader and his teammates project themselves at full speed and are difficult to follow.

“Ty has redefined our approach as a franchise for the future, from a roster perspective” explains Rick Carlisle, extended precisely to help build this approach. It is to help Tyrese Haliburton that the Pacers have recovered Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker in recent months. “It’s easy to determine the players who could shine with Ty” continues Chad Buchanan. However, it is not easy to find players who can both play fast and defend hard. “Bruce (Brown) can do both” assures the manager. “And we’re trying to get Obi (Toppin) there too. »

For the moment, the results on this side are still mixed, the Pacers still only posting the 27th defense in the NBA at the start of the season, with 118.9 points conceded on 100 possessions.

But Tyrese Haliburton, who says his “basketball knowledge” mostly comes from video games and that he sometimes sees the court like the view from above on NBA 2K, likes champagne basketball, blind passes and everything that can set a room on fire. For the leader, it’s the fast play that fans like.

The show to get people talking about Indiana

“Sabonis is an elite interior player in the NBA. But the low post moves are not exciting. You see what I mean ? Even Jokic, probably the best player in the world right now. But the low post moves are not exciting. That’s just not how basketball works. »

This ode to highlights and fast play may seem a little surprising from a player who recently explained that he no longer wants to be seen as a “loser”, but for Rick Carlisle, pleasure is an essential element.

“Most of the positive and important things that happen on a basketball court happen on the floor” admits the coach. “Now it’s a game of speed. The fact that we are dunking a lot more says a lot about the speed of our team currently. I don’t care if we dunk or not. It’s not essential for me. But this game should be fun. It should be fun for the players. And when the players are having fun, the fans are having fun. And when the fans are having fun, the room is full and the atmosphere is great. »

And when a team is having fun, the opponents see it too…

“In a small market, you need a player or several players that the other guys say, ‘I want to play with him.’ It doesn’t matter if he’s on the opposing team. ‘This guy, I’d like to play with him.’ We didn’t think we’d have a guy like that before.” concludes Chad Buchanan. Now they have Tyrese Haliburton.

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.