{"id":104418,"date":"2024-11-01T16:20:09","date_gmt":"2024-11-01T20:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=104418"},"modified":"2024-11-01T16:20:09","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T20:20:09","slug":"pacers-set-to-solve-tyrese-haliburton-and-pascal-siakam-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/01\/pacers-set-to-solve-tyrese-haliburton-and-pascal-siakam-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Pacers Set To Solve Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/10\/08\/1-question-for-each-indiana-pacers-rookie\/\" target=\"_self\">Indiana Pacers<\/a> surprised many last season with a strong playoff run, notching 47 wins and reaching the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/playoffs\/2024\/east-final\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eastern Conference Finals.<\/a> However, this season&#8217;s sluggish 2-3 start has raised questions, especially given their dramatic drop in offensive efficiency. In 2023-24, they thrived under a <a  href=\"https:\/\/sportsethos.com\/articles\/hoop-ball-fantasy-basketball-features\/season-wrap-the-2023-24-indiana-pacers\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fast-paced, high-scoring style<\/a> reminiscent of <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/coaches\/dantomi01c.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike D\u2019Antoni&#8217;s<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/theanalyst.com\/2022\/07\/the-seven-seconds-or-less-phoenix-suns\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">seven-second or less offense.<\/a> This year, they rank <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?dir=A&amp;sort=OFF_RATING\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">22nd in offensive rating,<\/a> averaging just 109.3 compared to last season\u2019s 120.5. Despite the Pacers&#8217; depth, led by a productive bench, the root issue seems to lie with their stars: <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/halibty01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyrese Haliburton<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/siakapa01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pascal Siakam.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>NBA Business: Pacers Set To Solve Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam Problem<\/h2>\n<h3>The Shift in Offensive Dynamics<\/h3>\n<p>Many would expect the Pacers\u2019 drop in scoring to be due to defensive adjustments from opponents. But Indiana\u2019s bench remains productive, with a strong <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?StarterBench=Bench&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=OFF_RATING\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">63.4 offensive rating<\/a>, fourth in the NBA. Last season, their <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/teams\/advanced?StarterBench=Bench&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=OFF_RATING&amp;Season=2023-24\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bench<\/a> led the league with a 67.4 offensive rating. The early-season absence of <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/turnemy01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Myles Turner<\/a>, who enables the team\u2019s five-out style, may partly explain the struggles. However, point guard <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mccontj01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">T.J. McConnell<\/a> has pointed to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/10\/24\/pacers-james-wiseman-sustains-potential-season-ending-injury\/\" target=\"_self\">depth<\/a> as the team\u2019s core strength, which means they must adapt even without Turner.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">TJ McConnell:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur depth on this team is a superpower of ours.\u201d<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Pacers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Pacers<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WTHRcom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@WTHRcom<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SoU0oMnLzk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/SoU0oMnLzk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Dominic Miranda (@DomMirandaTV) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DomMirandaTV\/status\/1840780531828408782?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 30, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Yet, the main issue appears to be the performance of <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/11\/top-25-nba-players-2024-25-no-20-tyrese-haliburton\/\" target=\"_self\">Haliburton<\/a> and Siakam. Both are key to the Pacers\u2019 system, and both have underperformed relative to their capabilities. For the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/10\/nba-odds-breaking-down-the-favorites-in-the-central-division\/\" target=\"_self\">Pacers to climb in the standings<\/a>, their stars must lead by scoring more consistently.<\/p>\n<h3>Pascal Siakam\u2019s Scoring Shift<\/h3>\n<p>Siakam has <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1627783\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">started<\/a> the season with 20.6 points per game\u2014his lowest average in seven years. He\u2019s taking just 15 shots per game, well below the volume expected of a star in <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/coaches\/carliri01c.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rick Carlisle\u2019s<\/a> offense. While Siakam is excelling with a career-high in three-point shooting (45.8% on 4.8 attempts per game), his production in the paint has declined significantly. Currently, he\u2019s averaging 11.2 <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/players\/misc?CF=MIN*GE*10:PLAYER_NAME*E*Siak&amp;dir=-1&amp;sort=PTS_PAINT\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">points in the paint <\/a>which is his lowest average since the 2019-20 season.<\/p>\n<p>This decrease is likely strategic. Siakam is now in his 30s, so reducing physical contact may help prolong his career. But the next logical step for him in Carlisle\u2019s system is to take even more threes, pushing his attempts above six per game. A minor increase could see Siakam\u2019s scoring rise above 24 points per game, maintaining his efficiency while adapting his game for longevity.<\/p>\n<h3>Tyrese Haliburton\u2019s Slow Return from Injury<\/h3>\n<p>Haliburton, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.barstoolsports.com\/blog\/3522166\/team-usa-hid-tyrese-haliburtons-leg-injury-which-means-he-probably-would-have-been-an-olympic-hero-if-healthy\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">recovering<\/a> from a hamstring injury, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.truehoop.com\/p\/worries-about-jamal-murray-and-tyrese\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hasn\u2019t returned to his pre-injury form<\/a>. Last season, he made sure to meet the All-NBA minimum games requirement by playing 69 games, a season count he\u2019s only achieved twice. However, his stats this season have taken a hit. After <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1630169\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">averaging<\/a> over 20 points in his first two full seasons with Indiana, he\u2019s currently at just 14.6 points per game. His assists are also down from 10.9 per game to 6.6, and his shooting splits\u2014a rough 34.6\/25.0\/66.7\u2014reflect the challenge of finding his rhythm.<\/p>\n<p>For a franchise cornerstone like Haliburton, these numbers aren\u2019t sustainable. A team with its two All-Stars averaging under 21 points each won\u2019t compete in today\u2019s NBA. Haliburton\u2019s struggles were evident in their <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/pacers\/news\/3-takeaways-from-pacers-surprising-overtime-victory-over-celtics-ak1987\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">near-collapse against the Boston Celtics<\/a>. As the Pacers\u2019 fourth-quarter lead vanished, Haliburton went one-for-four from the field while Siakam missed his only shot attempt. Both stars picked up in overtime, with Siakam\u2019s six points and game-sealing three-pointer, but the inconsistent shooting from their stars remains a concern.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pascal Siakam Nails the Triple for the Win in Overtime vs Celtics \ud83d\ude31 | Indiana Pacers\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j32UtA65i44?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>The Urgency for Scoring Leadership<\/h3>\n<p>The Pacers rely heavily on Siakam and Haliburton, who <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.spotrac.com\/nba\/indiana-pacers\/cap\/_\/year\/2024\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">combine for a 60% cap hit<\/a> with each earning $42.17 million. To justify this investment, they need to lead offensively. This pressure, especially, is on Haliburton. Siakam\u2019s numbers suggest he\u2019s adapting his game somewhat effectively, but Haliburton\u2019s struggles show signs of lingering injury effects. The Pacers may need to monitor his health closely, as any scoring drought from their primary playmaker affects the team\u2019s rhythm.<\/p>\n<p>If Haliburton can\u2019t ramp up his production, Indiana may need to find scoring support elsewhere. <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mathube01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bennedict Mathurin<\/a>, currently <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/stats\/player\/1631097\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">scoring<\/a> 15.8 points off the bench, could be that answer. In their overtime win over Boston, Mathurin shined with 30 points on 9-for-17 shooting. His impressive performance suggests he\u2019s ready for a bigger <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/09\/26\/pacers-chad-buchanan-addresses-bennedict-mathurins-role\/\" target=\"_self\">role<\/a> and could help reduce the burden on the Pacers\u2019 struggling stars.<\/p>\n<h3>The Pacers Need Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam to Up their Scoring<\/h3>\n<p>For Indiana to recapture its scoring prowess, they need Haliburton and Siakam to shoulder their share of the offensive load. Siakam\u2019s increased three-point efficiency is a positive development, but he\u2019ll need to attempt more shots to keep defenses stretched. Haliburton, too, must regain his pre-injury form to facilitate the team\u2019s high-paced offense. Should they continue to struggle, Mathurin may emerge as a third-scoring option, giving Indiana the offensive boost they need. In short, the Pacers\u2019 pathway to success lies in decisive performances from their stars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Indiana Pacers surprised many last season with a strong playoff run, notching 47 wins and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. However, this season&#8217;s sluggish 2-3 start has raised questions, especially given their dramatic drop in offensive efficiency. In 2023-24, they thrived under a fast-paced, high-scoring style reminiscent of Mike D\u2019Antoni&#8217;s seven-second or less offense. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":104568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,5,11],"tags":[49979,4303,637,1754,1208,2200,2607],"class_list":["post-104418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-celtics","category-pacers","tag-2024-25-nba-season","tag-bennedict-mathurin","tag-myles-turner","tag-pascal-siakam","tag-rick-carlisle","tag-t-j-mcconnell","tag-tyrese-haliburton"],"modified_by":"Eamon Cassels, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104418\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}