With Tyrese Haliburton set to miss the entirety of the 2025–26 NBA season as he rehabilitates from a torn Achilles tendon, the Indiana Pacers are bracing for a noticeable shift in their offensive identity.
According to ESPN’s Jamal Collier, the team is unlikely to maintain the same fast-paced, high-powered style that defined their recent campaigns.
Over the past two seasons, Indiana has been among the league’s most dynamic offensive teams, finishing second in both offensive rating and pace during the 2023–24 regular season.
Despite a sluggish start in the fall of 2024, the Pacers once again cracked the top 10 in both metrics in the 2024–25 season.
Their up-tempo style culminated in the 2025 playoffs, where they played faster than any other Eastern Conference team and rode that momentum all the way to their first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years.
However, Collier notes that the absence of Haliburton – the engine behind that up-tempo attack – will likely force Indiana to adjust its offensive approach.
Andrew Nembhard, expected to take over starting point guard duties in Haliburton’s place, doesn’t possess the same explosive quickness or playmaking flair.
As a result, the Pacers may pivot toward a more deliberate style, emphasizing Nembhard’s strengths in orchestrating half-court sets and making sound decisions with the ball.
League insiders cited by Collier also anticipate a larger offensive workload for Bennedict Mathurin, who is entering his fourth NBA season.
With Haliburton sidelined and veteran center Myles Turner no longer on the roster, Mathurin is expected to shoulder more of the scoring burden.
Selected in the lottery in 2022, the 6’6” wing has averaged 15.9 points across 28.3 minutes per game through his first three years.
He is also eligible to negotiate a rookie scale contract extension this summer – a development that adds another layer of intrigue to his evolving role in Indiana’s reshaped offensive scheme.
Pacers Notes: Nembhard, Mathurin, Turner, Jackson, More https://t.co/dFlLTUG4cL pic.twitter.com/vuijRNGVrU
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) July 18, 2025
