There’s no shortage of intrigue hanging over the Pacers as their season opens against the New Orleans Pelicans, and three names sit right at the center of it all.
Start with Tyrese Haliburton, because everything else in Indiana still bends around him. The last time he was on the floor, he was dragging the alleged super team Oklahoma City Thunder to a Game 7, controlling the first quarter before the devastating Achilles injury stopped him cold.
His preseason has been phenomenal, but the question worth watching is bigger than a hot few weeks: can he get back to top-10 player status? The Pacers have enough across the roster to stay afloat if he needs time to settle in.
What they cannot afford is for him to never get back there. There’s no real reason to think that’s the case this early, but as the season wears on, the conversation could shift from excitement to endurance.
Then there’s Ivica Zubac, who has become the clear prize from a gap year that left Indiana among the bottom four teams in basketball. Instead of bringing back a team that was nearly title-worthy with a talented rookie in the mix, the Pacers ended up with a 30-year-old center.
That outcome still doesn’t look like a disaster, which says plenty about Zubac’s level. Even so, the real question is what he can become in Indiana.
Could this be his first All-Star season? The new international minimums may help him get there.
Maybe that even undersells it. There’s a case that he could wind up the best center in a conference that includes Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
And then there’s Jarace Walker, who may have the clearest opening of all. With TJ McConnell out, the opportunity is there, and that kind of runway is worth its weight in gold.
The bar, as the source of this optimism puts it, is on the ground. Now comes the part where everyone waits to see whether this is finally the year it clicks.
In Other News...
Obi Toppin May Be Exactly What The Pacers Need Right Now
The Pacers opened the season with a 123-120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, and one of the most encouraging signs came from a player who was supposed to help from the second unit. Obi Toppin gave Indiana a burst of offense off the bench, scoring 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting in 24 minutes while showing the kind of versatility that can make a rotation click.
For a team that wants to keep its tempo high and its lineups balanced, Toppins fit matters beyond one strong night. He gave Indiana scoring, movement and coverage across multiple positions, the sort of backup presence that can settle a bench group and keep the offense flowing when the starters sit. If the Pacers are looking for depth they can trust early, Toppin may already be answering the call. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburton Added A Surprise Twist To His Pacers Comeback
Tyrese Haliburtons return gave the Pacers exactly the kind of lift they needed, and it came with a little extra flair before he even stepped on the floor. After recovering from the Achilles injury he suffered in June 2025, Haliburton was back in uniform and looked like himself again in his first game back, finishing with 23 points and 12 assists in Indianas win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The night also carried an unexpected pop culture nod. Haliburton showed up in a pregame outfit that paid tribute to WWE star Triple H, and the gesture drew a response from Triple H on social media. For a Pacers team trying to settle back into its rhythm with its point guard leading the way again, it was a reminder that Haliburton can still turn a return game into a moment. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Already Face An Early Injury Problem They Cant Ignore
The early injury chatter around the league already has an Indiana angle, with several familiar names showing up on the latest availability reports. AJ Dybantsa will miss his regular season debut for Washington because of a left ankle sprain, while a string of other players are dealing with issues of their own, including Tristan Vukcevic, Felix Okpara, Santi Aldama, Tarik Biberovic and Dereck Lively II.
For the Pacers, the bigger concern is the state of their own rotation and how quickly these early absences can reshape a game plan. T.J. McConnell, Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard are among the players listed as sidelined or questionable in recent updates, and when the injury report starts stacking up this early, every status check matters even more than usual. [Read more 🡒]