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After suffering through a brutal 2025-26 NBA season, the Indiana Pacers are excited to get the upcoming season going. Fans could not be more excited about the return of star point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Of course, Haliburton missed all of last season due to the torn Achilles that he suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Haliburton is expected to be good to go for opening night of the 2026-27 campaign. Simply having him back on the court will be a boost for the Pacers, although there are some questions about what the team should be expecting from him to begin the year.
During the 2024-25 NBA season, Haliburton posted strong numbers. He played in 73 games, averaging 18.6 points per game to go along with 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Haliburton also shot 47.3 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from three-point range.
With that being said, what should fans realistically expect from Haliburton this coming season?
Quite simply, Haliburton should be fully recovered physically from the injury. He has been given more than a year off to get back to peak physical performance. From a body perspective, Haliburton shouldn't have anything holding him back.
Mentally, returning from an injury like a torn Achilles can be difficult. It could take Haliburton a short amount of time to return fully on the mental side of the game.
That being said, fans should see Haliburton mostly pick up where he left off.
Looking back at the 2024-25 season, it would be reasonable to expect similar numbers. He should average somewhere between 17-20 points per game, between eight to 10 assists, and get back to shooting around the same clip if not better. Haliburton's time off the court has permitted him to continue working on his shot.
No one should expect to see a horror story of a return. Haliburton shouldn't fall off from being a star to a role player. In fact, he has extra motivation and hunger to be even better than he was pre-injury.
However, the start of the season may be a bit slow. Haliburton will need to learn to trust his Achilles again as he works his way up to full speed. By the end of the year, the injury should be fully behind him and he should be back to being one of the league's top rising superstars.
Hopefully, Haliburton continues at full health leading up to the season. A torn Achilles is a serious injury, but just like Jayson Tatum last year, it shouldn't impact his overall career.
The 2026-27 season can't get here soon enough. Haliburton's first game of the season is going to be an electrifying atmosphere in Indiana.
Continue reading...
Of course, Haliburton missed all of last season due to the torn Achilles that he suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Haliburton is expected to be good to go for opening night of the 2026-27 campaign. Simply having him back on the court will be a boost for the Pacers, although there are some questions about what the team should be expecting from him to begin the year.
During the 2024-25 NBA season, Haliburton posted strong numbers. He played in 73 games, averaging 18.6 points per game to go along with 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Haliburton also shot 47.3 percent from the floor and 38.8 percent from three-point range.
With that being said, what should fans realistically expect from Haliburton this coming season?
Quite simply, Haliburton should be fully recovered physically from the injury. He has been given more than a year off to get back to peak physical performance. From a body perspective, Haliburton shouldn't have anything holding him back.
Mentally, returning from an injury like a torn Achilles can be difficult. It could take Haliburton a short amount of time to return fully on the mental side of the game.
That being said, fans should see Haliburton mostly pick up where he left off.
Looking back at the 2024-25 season, it would be reasonable to expect similar numbers. He should average somewhere between 17-20 points per game, between eight to 10 assists, and get back to shooting around the same clip if not better. Haliburton's time off the court has permitted him to continue working on his shot.
No one should expect to see a horror story of a return. Haliburton shouldn't fall off from being a star to a role player. In fact, he has extra motivation and hunger to be even better than he was pre-injury.
However, the start of the season may be a bit slow. Haliburton will need to learn to trust his Achilles again as he works his way up to full speed. By the end of the year, the injury should be fully behind him and he should be back to being one of the league's top rising superstars.
Hopefully, Haliburton continues at full health leading up to the season. A torn Achilles is a serious injury, but just like Jayson Tatum last year, it shouldn't impact his overall career.
The 2026-27 season can't get here soon enough. Haliburton's first game of the season is going to be an electrifying atmosphere in Indiana.
Continue reading...
