The Pacemaker began to really take off around this time a year ago, securing a spot in the knockout rounds of the regular-season tournament and making it to the championship game in Las Vegas. This time, Indiana went 0-4 in NBA Cup group play, capped by a lopsided loss Tuesday in Toronto against a Raptors team that entered the game with a 6-15 record.
Speaking to reporters after the game, star guard Tyrese Haliburton emphasized that he and his teammates are capable of more and that they need to start showing it (YouTube link).
“The product we are about to launch as a group is embarrassing” Haliburton said (has tip on Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). “…Every team is playing hard right now. Every team is young and has energy. There is no reason why we cannot achieve this and beyond. I just think that the product we're putting out every night right now has to be better because we're working too hard. Too many people care. We are too proud of it. The product has to be better and the effort has to be better.”
Haliburton, who was an All-Star in back-to-back seasons and made the All-NBA Third Team in 2023-24, got off to a slow start this fall. His field goal percentage of 41.6% and three-point percentage of 34.0% would both be career lows, and he is averaging just 17.6 points and 8.5 assists per game after has posted 20.4 PPG and 10.7 APG over the last two seasons.
The Pacers, who won 47 regular-season games and made it to the Eastern Conference finals last season, struggled with Haliburton, posting a 9-13 record in the first quarter of the season. Tuesday's loss in Toronto extended the team's current losing streak to three games.
“There needs to be a reality check now, individually and collectively” Haliburton said. “Men need to look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves what they can do better. That starts with me. I need to be a better leader. I have to do everything better and harder because I'm not willing to waste a year of my career, this organization or this team's season.
“…We're between 9 and 13 right now. We can act like the world is collapsing and it's not, but there has to be a sense of urgency too. Everyone can keep saying, ‘Oh, it’s four games in, we’ll be back to .500.’ It’s not that easy.”
The Pacers struggled with some injury issues through the first six weeks of the season. Start guard Andrew Nembhard missed 12 games in November with a right knee injury and played in the starting lineup Aaron Nesmith has been out for over a month with a left ankle sprain. Indiana also lost both backup centers – Isaiah Jackson And James Wiseman – to Achilles tears.
Still, Haliburton doesn't see this as an excuse, instead suggesting that the Pacers should be able to raise their level of competition regardless of who is on the field.
“You can’t control whether you make every shot. You cannot control the replacement patterns. “You can’t control something like that,” Haliburton said (has tip on Eric Koreen of The Athletic). “But you can control how hard you play. You can control your energy and your mind. These are all controllable things. Everyone needs to do a little gut check, look at themselves in the mirror and figure out what we can do better.”
The Pacers will have a chance to bounce back on the second night of their meeting on Wednesday when they take on the Nets, who will also be looking to end a three-game losing streak, in Brooklyn.
