It was less than a year ago that Tyrese Haliburton had broken into superstardom.
He was breaking ankles and assist records while making the 20-point/15-assist line look like a cakewalk. Tyrese was also well-liked, humble, and genuinely seemed driven to succeed. It was difficult to root against him.
The In-Season Tournament
His profile shot up massively after breakout performances in the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. He scored 33 points and hit six threes in the knockout round on his way to an upset of the future-champion Boston Celtics. He dropped 27 points and notched his way to 15 assists in the semifinal to further upset Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks.
All that was left was upsetting King James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers in the final. Unfortunately, this would be a task too big for Haliburton and the Pacers. However, that’s not to say he didn’t have an excellent game, notching 20 points and 11 assists.
Injury Woes
Unfortunately, soon after this In-Season Tournament loss, Haliburton injured his ankle.
He continued to struggle with ankle and hamstring injuries throughout the season, and his play took a noticeable dip. He wasn’t as quick or springy, and his averages collapsed. Before the injury, Haliburton was a shoo-in by many analysts for the All-NBA First Team. After, his stock fell, and he barely made the All-NBA Third Team.
Haliburton responded by taking an underdog Pacers team to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, he continued to struggle with injuries, playing just two games and missing out on an incredible opportunity.
It was commonly accepted that Haliburton’s poor play was due to his injuries. Many expected him to pick up right where he left off last season and elevate himself to another tier of superstardom in 2024-25.
Continued Struggles
Unfortunately, while the injuries have mostly resolved, Haliburton’s poor play has not.
His averages have fallen drastically since last season, and so has his shooting accuracy from beyond the arc. His poor play has been especially noticeable because the Eastern Conference has been much weaker than usual this season. Currently, only the five top teams in the East have winning records compared to ten in the West.
This should have been the year that Haliburton and the Pacers contended for a title, or at least another shot at the Celtics. Instead, they are 9-12, capped off with a brutal loss to a heavily injured Memphis Grizzlies team. In this stinker, Haliburton had eight points, two rebounds, and seven assists in 37 minutes played.
This type of game has been all too common for Haliburton lately. He has scored less than 10 points five times and greater than 20 points just six times throughout this season. Some speculate that this could all be due to a lingering back injury, but even so, he has been remarkably inconsistent.
It’s unclear what happened to the young star we saw last year who was destined for greatness. He needs to get his swagger back and fast, because the NBA is better when Tyrese Haliburton performs at a high level.
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