Of course, Haliburton is coming back from an Achilles tear, which is one of the worst injuries in basketball, but there’s plenty of reason as to why I think he’ll come back as an All NBA Caliber dude again.
Modern day recovery and trainers
The modern NBA has advanced tremendously compared to 30 years ago, especially when it comes to training and recovery. Players now have access to specialized trainers, nutritionists, physical therapists, and advanced recovery technology. Teams closely monitor players’ workloads, sleep, nutrition, and physical condition to prevent injuries and improve performance. This allows players to recover faster and maintain their bodies through the long NBA season. This helps with guys recovering from big injuries like an Achilles tear.
Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the 2nd round in the NBA playoffs vs the Knicks, 10 months later, in March, he suited up for a game vs the Mavericks. And he came back better than before. This supports my first point of modern trainers and recovery is so much better than 30 years ago because athletes that are coming back from injuries are playing like they’ve never left.
Tyrese Haliburton’s playstyle
A torn Achilles doesn’t affect a dude a ton when 6/10 times he gets the ball he swings it somewhere else, also his shot diet includes a ton of deep threes (which he hits).
Now if we look at the supporting cast, it’s loaded with depth. The starting 5 is one of the best in the league.
Pascal Siakam is 32 and is still well in his prime. He’s an all NBA caliber dude and an elite half-court scorer, and has turned into a terrific shooter with the Pacers “shot doctor”. This devolopment has made him a good fit next to Zubac on paper
Ivica Zubac was a major addition that basically solved all their problems, he doesn’t space the floor like Turner does, but he brings a new look. Zubac is an elite rebounder and the Pacers were 28th in the entire NBA in rebounding in their finals run season. Zubac also brings an elite interior presence and is an efficient scorer in the paint and an elite defender. Also for the people that says the non 5 out spacing will be a problem (it won’t), they still have Jay Huff, Who’s a cheaper version of Turner. Demands attention from the 3 point line and is an elite shot blocker.
Aaron Nesmith is one of the NBA’s best movement shooters. He’s an elite catch and shoot player that thrives off of Haliburton’s vision. He’s also elite at shooting off of 1 or 2 dribbles.
Nembhard just had himself a very good year and will be able to handle the ball and take pressure of Haliburton, which huge for a guy coming off his Achilles tear, he’s also an elite defender
Now the bench is arguably the best in the NBA
Obi Toppin is an elite athlete which is huge for a guy like Haliburton who likes to throw those lobs, he’s also a very good shooter as well.
TJ McConnell is one of the best backup guards in the NBA, his ball handling, his ability to score in the mid range, and hustle is what makes him a perfect backup to Haliburton
They recently added Kelly Oubre Jr, who will be a massive wing addition, he’s a really good off ball player, can create his shot. He also shot 36% from deep and 46% on his corner looks. He has turned into a reliable shooter. His size on the wing and the athletic ability will help the Pacers a ton on the defensive side of the ball.
Jay Huff who I touched on before, is a spacing 5 that shot 40.5 percent on his threes in a season and is an elite shot blocker. He’s a reliable backup to Zubac
Jarace Walker has shown potential and the Pacers GM has stated that he wants him to become the Knicks version of OG Anunoby for them. Which is a very realistic target for Walker. He’s still raw though
Sheppard is a floor spacing wing that defends at a high level.