Just months removed from pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Indiana now finds itself near the bottom of the league, buried in power rankings and saddled with the worst offensive rating in the NBA. The loss of Haliburton, who tore his right Achilles in that decisive game and was later ruled out for the entire 2025 to 26 season, has stripped the Pacers of their offensive engine and emotional compass.​

With Haliburton on the floor last season, Indiana played at a top tier offensive level, posting an offensive rating above 118 and flowing through his pick and roll craft and deep shooting. Without him, that efficiency has cratered, as the Pacers now struggle to generate clean looks, move the ball with purpose and sustain any rhythm for four quarters.​

Siakam And Supporting Cast Under Strain

The front office hoped Pascal Siakam could shoulder more creation in Haliburton’s absence, but he has instead been asked to carry an overextended role on a roster that has rarely been whole. Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard have all missed significant time, and that core quartet has logged only a handful of minutes together, robbing Indiana of continuity and lineup stability.​

Myles Turner’s departure to Milwaukee removed the back line anchor and pick and pop partner that once complemented Haliburton so well, forcing the Pacers to mix and match in the frontcourt while leaning on young bigs and short term contracts. In this context, Siakam’s insistence that injuries are no excuse underscores a locker room that understands the standards it set last year but currently lacks the structure to reach them.​

Searching For Identity Without Their Star

What is most striking about the Pacers without Haliburton is not just the drop in wins but the erosion of identity. The free flowing spacing, quick hitting actions and joyful pace that defined their rise have been replaced by heavy possessions and late clock isolations. Coaches have experimented with Nembhard as a primary initiator and leaned more on Mathurin’s on ball reps, but those solutions resemble survival tactics more than a fully formed offensive system.​​

There is no simulation button to fast forward through this season, as local observers have noted, only the grind of developing habits, getting healthy and hoping Haliburton returns to something close to his pre injury form. Until then, Indiana’s reality is harsh: without its All-Star point guard, a once explosive offense now looks ordinary and the margin for error has nearly vanished in an unforgiving Eastern Conference.