The 2025-26 NBA season has been a forgettable one for Indiana Pacers fans.
After making it to the Eastern Conference finals in two straight seasons and advancing all the way to the NBA Finals last season, the Pacers took a major step back this year by finishing second-to-last in the Eastern Conference standings. The only team that finished with a worse record than the Pacers in the conference is the hapless Washington Wizards.
Tyrese Haliburtonâs absence played a big part in Indianaâs struggles this season, as Haliburton missed the entire campaign after suffering a torn Achilles against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals in June.
But, while this season was a bummer in Indiana, Haliburton doesnât want Pacers fans to get used to their season ending in April.
Tyrese Haliburton Doesnât Want Pacers Fans to Get Used to the Season Ending Early
Haliburton addressed the crowd in Indiana ahead of the Pacersâ season finale against the Detroit Pistons, and he made sure to share an optimistic message regarding the franchiseâs future.
“Weâve been battling injuries. Itâs been a tough year, but we appreciate you guys for showing up, showing love every game,” Haliburton said. “You guys are the best fans in the world. We appreciate you guys. And donât get used to the Pacers not playing in April, May and June.â
After such a slog of a season, it was nice of Haliburton to give Pacers fans a piece of positivity to take into the offseason, especially since this offseason will be much longer than last offseason.
Tyrese Haliburton Moving in the Right Direction in Recovery Process
This is the second time recently that Haliburton has provided fans in Indiana with a reason for optimism.
Earlier this week, Haliburton shared a major milestone in his Achilles recovery on social media, as he revealed that he played five-on-five for the first time since last June, which was when he suffered the injury in the first place.
That tells you that Haliburton is clearly moving in the right direction in his recovery, and that he should absolutely be ready for the start of next season for Indiana, barring any unfortunate setbacks. He still has the entire offseason to continue to strengthen his leg and get back into basketball shape, too.
Indiana’s injury issue this season weren’t just limited to Haliburton either. The Pacers had several other key contributors miss substantial time over the course of the campaign. Pascal Siakam missed 20 games for Indiana, Andrew Nembhard missed 25 games and Obi Toppin missed nearly 60 games. It would be difficult for any team to overcome that many absences.
Those guys are all under contract and will be back in Indiana next season. Plus, the Pacers will have an opportunity to improve the roster over the offseason through the draft and free agency.
So as long as they have health on their side, there’s no reason to think that the Pacers couldn’t quickly jump back into the contender conversation in the Eastern Conference. This year though, Haliburton and the Pacers will be relegated to watching the postseason from home.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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