Whether it affected his playing time is unclear. However, Indiana Pacers floor general Tyrese Haliburton “was slowed in the Olympics by a minor leg injury,” per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “Team USA didn’t announce it, but he had an MRI…” Windhorst adds.
Haliburton averaged 2.7 points and 0.7 assists in 8.8 minutes per game in the Paris Olympics. The two-time All-Star averaged 20.1 points and 10.9 assists in 32.2 minutes per game last season.
Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Sustains Undisclosed Injury
It’s unclear exactly what Haliburton’s injury was.
The 24-year-old’s recent injury history is worth mentioning though, as he was ailing from a hamstring injury in the back half of the 2023-24 season. Suffering the original injury in January and re-aggravating it in May, it’s certainly possible that his muscle was still tender. Due to the tricky nature of hamstring injuries, it’s also the type of malady that could require an MRI.
Haliburton also could’ve sustained a minor ankle or knee injury. Sprains and bruises aren’t uncommon and typically require medical imaging as well. Furthermore, they’re injuries that can be played through.
With that being said, Haliburton saw the court in three consecutive Olympic games before being glued to the bench. It was originally thought to be the byproduct of Team USA head coach Steve Kerr’s polarizing rotations. Yet, with Windhorst’s report, it now seems possible that his injury could’ve prevented him from playing.
Would A Healthy Haliburton Have Made A Difference?
As Haliburton didn’t do much to affect the scoreboard —he went 2-4 from 3, dished out two assists, and one steal —Team USA didn’t necessarily need him. His perimeter skills and on-ball defense are outstanding, but his impact was curbed by his limited role.
When you ain’t do nun on the group project and still get an A🏅 pic.twitter.com/xpshYZhMyA
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) August 10, 2024
Still, in their dogfights against Serbia and France, he might have been useful.
With Derrick White going 0-2 from 3 against Serbia and being a team-worst -16. Haliburton could’ve outperformed him simply by knocking down a timely 3-pointer. When Team USA played France, they shot just 50.0 percent from 3 but had 17 turnovers. LeBron James and Stephen Curry had five turnovers each in the face of France’s ball pressure. Putting another high-level playmaker on the floor could’ve helped both stars.
Will He Play In The 2028 LA Olympics?
All’s well that ends well, or so the saying goes. Nonetheless, there’s a general belief that Kerr mismanaged his rotations.
As this is one of Kerr’s major criticisms in the NBA as well, there’s likely some truth to this idea. With the Golden State Warriors, he’s been resistant to playing the young Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga. He just came around to featuring Kuminga last season, and it turned their season around.
With Team USA, he came under fire for all but refusing to play Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, above all else. Given Tatum’s ability and reputation, it seemed to fly in the face of logic that he wouldn’t receive playing time. Now, there’s question of if the five-time All-Star will want to play in the 2028 L.A. Olympics.
If Kerr returns instead of retiring from his Team USA post, Tatum may prefer to stay home with his family. Even if Kerr’s replaced, Tatum may have a bad taste in his mouth from the Paris Olympics. This could lead to an ultimatum in which he needs to be promised playing time.
Though he doesn’t have quite as much star power as Tatum, Haliburton could have similar feelings and demands.
What This Means For The Pacers
If Haliburton’s hamstring is what was bothering him, it’s possible that it affects him in games next season. This makes the injury worth monitoring for the Pacers, as he’s been their offensive engine since his arrival.
Indiana has two high-level facilitators behind Haliburton in T.J. McConnell and Andrew Nembhard. So, they’re better equipped to handle his absence than other teams might be. Nonetheless, neither McConnell nor Nembhard offer the scoring punch that Haliburton does. As a result, his potential absence still has wide-ranging implications for the Pacers, especially if it’s elongated.
An up-and-coming team looking to be a perennial playoff contender, Indiana is just 74-77 with Haliburton. However, they’re 14-25 without Haliburton over the past two seasons.
