The Tyrese Haliburton show is bringing a smile to Pacers’ faces: ‘He’s special’

LAS VEGAS — Remember when it appeared as if all people wished off the Indiana Pacers?

Big man Myles Turner was craving for greener pastures so badly in December 2021 that he spoke publicly about his need for “more opportunity” — a rarity in immediately’s NBA — and shared his view that he was getting used as a “glorified role player.” Veteran guard Buddy Hield failed to come to an settlement on an extension with the Pacers this summer season, then discovered himself within the headlines when our Shams Charania reported that each side have been attempting to find a trade. The solely time we talked concerning the Pacers on the nationwide stage, it appeared, was when it concerned potential roster adjustments or when a sure Memphis Grizzlies star and his associates had a problematic postgame state of affairs with Pacers gamers that was the center of a league investigation.

To make your method round their locker room lately is to actually perceive the Tyrese Haliburton impact. It’s like being at a home social gathering that not one of the Pacers need to finish, with the 23-year-old level guard working the turntables so masterfully that everybody needs to stand up off the sofa and jam.

That was the case but once more Thursday at T-Mobile Arena, the place their 128-119 win over the Milwaukee Bucks within the In-Season Tournament (IST) semifinals solely intensified the highlight that has grown a lot brighter in current weeks. Haliburton, who has performed his method into the early MVP dialog, turned in a 27-point, 15-assist, zero-turnover outing that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo described as “amazing” and got here with telling historic consequence. While 11 players have had video games of at the least 27 factors, 15 assists and no turnovers, Haliburton is the one one to have finished it twice (his first was lower than two months in the past). And lest anybody forgets, he was three days faraway from a 26-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound, zero-turnover displaying in an IST quarterfinal win over the Boston Celtics.

What he’s doing is merely absurd at this level, with crew officers and media members alike struggling to agree on a participant comp that correctly initiatives his ceiling. Stephen Curry has been talked about internally as a main candidate — untimely although that is perhaps. Longtime NBA author and coach David Thorpe made an fascinating argument that he’s James Harden 2.0. Haliburton’s newest masterpiece impressed an endorsement from Pacers nice Reggie Miller that will carry extra weight than all the remainder.

“We are witnessing a superstar in the making,” Miller stated of Haliburton, who is averaging 26.9 factors and a league-leading 12.9 assists per sport.

“We are witnessing a superstar in the making.” – Reggie Miller on Tyrese Haliburton pic.twitter.com/FWW234Au8p

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 8, 2023

But past the basketball dialogue, it’s the best way Haliburton’s teammates rejoice his success that is perhaps the very best indicator of what lies forward. The Pacers smiles that have been nowhere to be seen not too way back are in all places now. The wisecracks, additionally absent throughout that point when rumors of a rebuild fueled uncertainty and a few discontent, are a fixed.

With Haliburton out entrance, they’re quick. They’re enjoyable. They’re feisty (porous protection be darned). They’re…

“Rejuvenating,” as Turner put it.

The 27-year-old is aware of of what he speaks.

Midway by way of his seventh season in Indiana, Turner was so disenfranchised along with his place within the Pacers world that he was prepared for one thing new. But only one month after he aired these frustrations for all of the basketball world to hear, the take care of Sacramento that introduced Haliburton (and Hield) their method modified all of it. The departure of middle Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento put Turner again in his most well-liked place, all whereas giving him a level guard who had a uncommon capacity to elevate the offensive skills of everybody round him.

“I think we won the trade personally, but I’m biased of course,” Turner advised The Athletic. “I think it was mutually beneficial. (Kings guard De’Aaron) Fox got something that he needed, and I got the point guard that I needed.”

Tyrese Haliburton drives to the lane towards Bucks middle Brook Lopez. (Kyle Terada / USA Today)

And over time, as he recalled, all of it clicked.

“Those days when I was playing the four (alongside Sabonis before Haliburton’s arrival), those were dark days for me because I wasn’t happy,” Turner stated. “I didn’t really enjoy my role. I didn’t really enjoy a lot of the scrutiny that came with playing out of position. … It wasn’t all bad, but it definitely wasn’t good.”

Hield was in that type of place not too way back, as effectively. The uncertainty about his contract led to pure questions on how the Pacers noticed him, and so it was that he thought-about the potential subsequent steps which may come. Less than three months later, his hoops worldview — very like Turner’s — has modified for the higher.

“It’s so crazy,” stated Hield, who is averaging 13.3 factors and taking pictures 38.8 p.c from 3-point vary on 7.4 makes an attempt per sport. “Like, in an NBA season, we’re all human. You always have second thoughts in the back of your head. When it’s bad, you have second thoughts. But when it’s good, you don’t have second thoughts, you know? And it’s a long season, so you’ve just gotta enjoy it, let God control what he controls. Let him handle (the future), and all you’ve gotta do is control what you control on the basketball court.”

The temper change, after all, has every thing to do with Haliburton. From “no-star” recruit to Iowa State standout, twelfth choose within the 2020 draft and rising NBA star, he’s doing the sorts of issues even his teammates admit they didn’t count on.

“He gets mad at me all the time when I always tell him, ‘Yo, I didn’t ever see this (coming),’” Hield stated. “But once you can shoot the 3-ball so well, it opens up so much for you offensively. And when you have vision and deception, anticipation or whatever you want to call it, it’s (impactful).

“He thinks two plays ahead of the defender, and that’s elite. He just brings it out. He’s special.”

Just how particular? Time will inform.

“When you talk about controlling the game, being super smart out there, IQ, he has it all,” stated Pacers guard Bruce Brown, who received a title with the Denver Nuggets final season alongside two-time MVP Nikola Jokić earlier than signing with Indiana in the summertime. “I mean, what, he had 15 assists tonight with no turnovers? That doesn’t happen. I’ve only seen that with Nikola. In a few more years …”

The focus for now, although, shall be on these subsequent few days. An In-Season Tournament title sport towards the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, and one other probability for these Pacers (12-8) to shine in entrance of the plenty, is up subsequent.

“I think we’re shocking the world right now,” Haliburton stated. “Nobody expected us to be here except for the guys in the locker room. That means a lot to us, so it feels good.”

(Top photograph of Myles Turner and Tyrese Haliburton: Jeff Bottari / NBAE through Getty Images)