As a team, the Indiana Pacers will have a lot to prove during the 2026-27 NBA season.
The same could be said for Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who will be returning to game action for Indiana after missing the entirety of the ’25-26 season due to a torn Achilles.
Tyrese Haliburton Named Indiana Pacers Player With Most to Prove Next Season
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – JUNE 22: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers warms up before playing the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recently named the one player on every team in the league with the most to prove next season, and Haliburton was the pick for Indiana.
Coming off of a major injury, Haliburton will have to prove that he’s still the same player that he was before the injury. Indiana’s future as a team largely hinges on his ability to do so.
“You wouldn’t think a two-time All-NBA superstar who had already led his team to within a single win of a championship is all done proving himself, but Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles changed everything. His career now features a distinct before-and-after dividing line, and what he does from now on will probably be harder than what he’s done before,” Hughes wrote.
“The after’ portion of his career matters so much because Haliburton’s Indiana Pacers spent his year on the shelf acting as if he would be the same elite driver of offense he was before the injury. . . . We’ll see if Haliburton’s form justifies that belief.”
If Haliburton is able to bounce back and regain his form following his injury, the Pacers could quickly re-enter the contender conversation in the Eastern Conference. If not though, there could be some major issues in Indiana.
Tyrese Haliburton Entering NBA Season With a Chip on His Shoulder
GettyINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JUNE 11: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Three of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 11, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Haliburton will enter the season eager to remind people just how good he is, and with a chip on his shoulder. He recently expressed disappointment that the league decided not to air his return game on a national stage.
“Name any other person that you compare to my level of a basketball player, wherever you have me ranked, if they tore their Achilles and missed 16 months, do you think that [first game back] would be on national TV?” Do you think that game would be at home if not on national television? Do you think that game would be at New Orleans?” Haliburton said.
“When I saw the schedule I was like, ‘Oh, wow.’ I was shocked to see that. But we move on.”
The best move for Haliburton would be to use this perceived slight as motivation heading into a very important campaign for both he and the Pacers.
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