Source: Sarah Stier / Getty
The Indiana Pacers dropped the first game of their series with the New York Knicks, falling to 0-1 in the series.
One of the biggest factors in the loss was the disappearance of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who finished with 6 points, 2 rebounds and 8 assists. While the Pacers bench and supporting players all played well enough to win, their star did not, and the Pacers couldn’t overcome that, especially with some questionable officiating late.
This has become a bit of a recurring trend for Haliburton since he returned from a hamstring injury midway through the season. He hasn’t been bad, and at times has played at the level he was playing at before the injury. But then, as we saw in Game 1, he will completely vanish and have little to no impact on the game.
In the playoffs, that could be a death sentence for the Pacers. So what’s going on with Haliburton?
Perhaps he’s more injured than he’s letting on. While no one is 100% at this point in the season, Haliburton’s drop off in production could be a sign that he’s got more than just the standard wear and tear. Maybe it’s a mental hiccup, one that he just has to work his way out of as he continues to grow as a player.
Whatever the case, the Pacers can ill-afford another performance like he had in Game 1. In the playoffs, your star players have to perform. For the Pacers to have a shot against New York, Haliburton will have to start doing just that.
During Tuesday’s edition of The Ride With JMV, John spoke to several guests about what might be going on with Haliburton, and the decline in his production.
Greg Rakestraw of the ISC Sports Network:
“I would imagine he is more hurt than he’s letting on would be my guess…Again he wasn’t bad, he was just non-existent and that has obviously been kind of an off-and-on thing really for the better part of the last couple months. Ever since that hamstring injury, and now dealing with a back injury…you tend to be compensating one for the other. So my guess is is that [while] nobody’s playing at 100% this time of year, his percentage might be a little bit lower than most.”
Jeremiah Johnson of Bally Sports Indiana:
“I would say he’s definitely holding back. [In] the 4th-quarter, you don’t expect a guy like that to not have any shots, not have any assists, and to have 3 turnovers. A lot of people have made the comments that he’s not the same since the hamstring injury, I’ll probably push back on that a little bit because I don’t think the hamstring is bothering him, I would think it’s the back…Anybody that’s ever had a back ailment, you know those are painful and you’re thinking about them at all times, and you don’t know when a certain movement will cause problems…it’s maybe not the kind of thing that’s going to keep a guy like that from playing in the most important games in his professional career, however, he’s not the same player right now.”
Bob Kravitz of bobkravitz.com:
“The last half of the season he’s just not been the same player, and I’ve got to think at seasons end we’ll find out about a serious injury, or at least an injury that limited him significantly. Whether it’s the hamstring, or the back, or a combination of both, I don’t know…but to be as good as he was through the first 40 games of this season and then to fall off a cliff…very odd. We’ll see if he can bounce back.”
Listen to those conversations and more down below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
The post What’s Going On With Tyrese Haliburton? appeared first on 93.5 / 107.5 The Fan.
What’s Going On With Tyrese Haliburton? was originally published on 1075thefan.com
