Tyrese Haliburton Lights up the Court for the Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers have to be thankful for Tyrese Haliburton. His play has given the league whiplash leading Indiana’s turnaround in the second year of his stint in Indiana. They’ve used this play-in tournament as a springboard, upsetting the Philadelphia 76ers and are practically a shoe-in for the quarterfinals. Calling the Indiana Pacers one of the NBA’s most captivating teams is an understatement, they are playing at an Indy 500 pace in the current season. Fresh off playing a leading role for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, Haliburton leads the league in assists. Indiana’s offense has become one of the greatest of all-time through 11 games. Despite possessing a funky jumper, he became one of the league’s most prolific distributors and offensively efficient players. In the final game, Haliburton compiled 16 assists while scoring 36 points, justifying Indiana’s faith in his skillset when they awarded him a $260 million extension. Their offense does not only create easier shots but leads the league in pace and is the best transition offense in high-stakes games. The Wizards and Hawks are second and third, respectively, in that department, but their offenses don’t create easier shots at the rate Indiana’s does. The In-Season Tournament was made for teams like Indiana to leave their footprints all over. Indiana’s youth and defensive limitations will still hinder them in a seven-game series, but they’ve already shown how high it can lift them in a single elimination format.