The Indiana Pacers enter the 2026-27 season with a very different kind of pressure hanging over them. After winning only 19 games a year ago and spending last season near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, they’re not just trying to improve - they’re trying to claw their way back into the conversation.
A lot of that hope starts with Tyrese Haliburton. The star guard is expected back after missing time since the 2025 NBA Finals, and his return changes the entire look of the roster. Indiana has spent plenty of time waiting for that boost, but there’s still a real question attached to it: how quickly does Haliburton look like himself again?
That’s the biggest storyline in the building. If he shakes off the rust fast and gets back to being one of the top players in the NBA, the Pacers have a chance to stabilize this thing in a hurry.
If he doesn’t, the ceiling for the season looks a lot different. Haliburton’s play will set the tone for everything Indiana wants to do.
There’s also real pressure on Jarace Walker to keep rising. He turned his game up another level last season while Haliburton was out, and now the challenge is proving that growth can carry over with the star guard back in the mix. Indiana needs Walker to be more than just a promising piece - it needs him to be a dependable wing option and a scoring threat that can help carry the load.
That need becomes even bigger with Bennedict Mathurin no longer on the roster. Walker’s ability to provide offense and steady play on the wing could end up mattering a lot for this group.
Then there’s Ivica Zubac, who arrived at the trade deadline last year and is now being treated as the center of the future. The fit makes sense in some ways: he rebounds, he finishes around the rim, and he brings size that can help Indiana.
But the Pacers don’t play a slow, methodical game. Their offense wants pace, space, and constant movement, and Zubac is going to have to adjust to that run-and-gun style.
That adjustment will be one of the key tests for the season. He’ll need to run the floor and find ways to fit into what head coach Rick Carlisle wants to do.
If that connection clicks, it gives Indiana another important piece. If it doesn’t, the Pacers may have to keep searching for the right formula as they try to get back to the postseason and, eventually, into the title race in the East.
In Other News...
Tyrese Haliburton Gives Pacers Fans One Huge Reason To Watch Tonight
The Pacers finally get a real look at their new starting group tonight when they open preseason against the Timberwolves, and there is plenty of curiosity baked into the matchup. For Indiana, this is the first chance to see the lineup tested against another team after camp work, with the game offering an early read on how the pieces fit as the season approaches. Minnesota brings its own intrigue after an active offseason, so this is not just a tune-up for the Pacers but a first glimpse at where they stand.
Tyrese Haliburtons return from injury is the biggest reason Indiana fans will be paying attention, since his presence changes the tone of the entire operation. His availability gives the Pacers a centerpiece to build around again, and tonight should offer a useful look at how he moves with the new starting five around him. There are still plenty of questions left to answer, but this game at least starts to sketch out what Indiana can be once the games begin to count. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Championship Hopes May Come Down To One Deadline Decision
Tyrese Haliburton is back for the 2026-2027 season, but the Pacers are not exactly rolling into the year with a freshly restocked cupboard. Indiana missed out on the kind of draft break that can quietly change a teams ceiling, and after losing Myles Turner in free agency, the front office had to patch the middle of the roster by bringing in Ivica Zubac through a trade. It leaves the Pacers in a familiar but uncomfortable spot: good enough to matter, not yet complete enough to feel settled.
What happens next may hinge less on opening night than on February. With the Eastern Conference getting tougher and Indianas current core still needing help around Haliburton, the organization is expected to keep its powder dry for the 2027 trade deadline, when the right move could determine whether this season becomes a step forward or just another year of waiting on the edge of contention. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Preseason Opener Will Reveal Something Bigger Than The Score
The first preseason game will give the Pacers their initial live look at how this group is coming together, but it will not settle the biggest questions hanging over camp. Tyrese Haliburtons Achilles recovery remains a storyline worth monitoring, and the arrival of new faces such as Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ivica Zubac adds another layer to watch as Indiana starts sorting out rotations and roles.
What matters most early on is less about the final score and more about whether the group looks connected. For a team trying to build momentum for the season ahead, chemistry and morale can matter just as much as any box score detail, and this opener should offer at least a first glimpse of how well the Pacers are building that foundation. [Read more 🡒]