Tyrese Haliburton’s path to an MVP push sounds wild on paper, but the opening is there if the Indiana Pacers turn into a machine.
He is not the kind of player who usually wins that award. The modern NBA leans hard on counting stats, and the analytics era has tilted MVP races away from team success more than most people want to admit.
That is part of why Steve Nash’s two MVPs stand out so much. Nash led the Run and Gun Phoenix Suns to multiple top seeds and deep playoff runs in the early 2000s, yet the title never came.
He always seemed to come up just short, even when he played through a broken nose after getting trucked into the scorer's table.
Nash would have traded either MVP for a championship. Haliburton would, too.
And yet, the idea of Haliburton making a real run at both is not completely out of bounds.
That sounds extreme for a player who is probably not a top-10 guy in the league right now, is coming back after a full year away while rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon, and won’t likely post the kind of numbers that usually put someone in the center of the MVP race. Even so, he is clearly optimistic about what he and the Pacers can do this season.
The route is pretty simple in theory. If Indiana becomes the East’s top seed and starts stacking wins and records, voters could just look at the standings and point to the team’s best player. That is how Nash won, and it is the kind of path Donovan Mitchell has gotten MVP votes through before.
The problem is that the last few years have made it feel like you need absurd stat lines to even be taken seriously. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic have set that tone, and both have made it easy to understand why voters have leaned that way. Jokic may have the best on-off numbers because the Denver Nuggets have built such a rough roster around him, while SGA will likely be the top scorer because of the ecosystem the Oklahoma City Thunder have created around him.
That makes a real challenge feel out of reach for just about everyone else. But the NBA’s dumbest rule has opened a door.
If either Gilgeous-Alexander or Jokic falls under the 65-game threshold, the race could suddenly get messy in a hurry. And if that happens, a sleeper can grab the spotlight fast.
That is why the idea of Cade Cunningham entering MVP talk with the Detroit Pistons matters here. If he can hang around the conversation simply by playing enough and giving his team enough success, then there is no reason Haliburton cannot do the same.
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 🡒]