What Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton learned sitting on the bench: 'I'm glad that (expletive) is done'

What Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton learned sitting on the bench: 'I'm glad that (expletive) is done'

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tyrese Haliburton intended from the beginning to be present for the Pacers throughout 2025-26 season even though he knew he would be missing all of it to rehabilitate from a torn right Achilles tendon. He said in his preseason news conference that he intended to attend almost every game and that he wanted to be at practice so that his teammates knew they had his support.

But if he were left to his own devices, he acknowledges, there are some things he probably would have skipped. But he admitted that he actually got more out of it because Pacers coach Rick Carlisle pushed him to be at team meetings and film sessions. He might not be able to apply any lessons learned there in games, but Carlisle still saw ways Haliburton could contribute.

"I'm gonna be honest here, a lot of it had to do with Rick," Haliburton said in his end-of-season interview Monday. "I was like, 'Man, these team meetings, do I have to be around? Can't I just wait to see you guys in the gym in practice?' Rick was honestly on me a lot about being in meetings as much as I can. Just for my voice, being able to talk through things. Honestly, having a veteran coach helped a lot, him seeing that."

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) leaps with Indiana Pacers guard Kobe Brown (24) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle high-fives fans on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers stand for the national anthem on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) stands on the court watching team introductions Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) thanks the fans on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) guards Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) walks up the court Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff (32) goes in for a lay-up against Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) celebrates a throw-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) scores a three-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) three-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) leaps with Indiana Pacers guard Kobe Brown (24) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

1 / 11

The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) leaps with Indiana Pacers guard Kobe Brown (24) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle high-fives fans on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers stand for the national anthem on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) stands on the court watching team introductions Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) thanks the fans on Sunday, April 12, 2026, ahead of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) guards Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) walks up the court Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff (32) goes in for a lay-up against Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) on Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) celebrates a throw-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) scores a three-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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The Indiana Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons in final season home game

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) three-point basket Sunday, April 12, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Haliburton had to be apart from the team for nearly a month in February and March due to his shingles illness but he was present for almost every game prior to the All-Star break. His basketball acumen is already elite and he tends to think of the game from a coach's perspective but he got more of a sense of what the game looks like from their seats.

"I spent a lot of time sitting with the coaches, seeing it from their perspective," Haliburton said. "Different things. Substitution patterns, reasons for not challenging things (on replay). A lot of different things. Sitting with Jenny (Boucek) and Jim (Boylen) a lot on the defensive end, talking about rotations and figuring stuff like that out has been fun for me honestly. I always tell people I love basketball. I genuinely do. That's why you always see me at Fever games. I travel with my AAU team all the time. I always feel like there's something to learn, no matter what level you're watching. Or something to teach at this point for me. That's why I love the game. It's been a lot of fun for me to sit there and watch."

But of course, he's also looking forward to not having to watch from that perspective anymore. For as much as he enjoyed the insight, it was difficult for the Pacers' franchise player to watch from the sideline as the team put up its worst record in franchise history at 19-63. The Pacers had the second-worst record in the NBA this season after reaching last year's NBA Finals and pushing the champion Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games before Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7. They set a franchise record for consecutive losses in December and January with 13 straight and then did it again in February and March when they lost 16 consecutive games after the All-Star break.

"I'm glad that (expletive) is done to be honest," Haliburton said. "I can't wait to go out there and compete with my guys. Obviously it's been a long year. We've dealt with so many different things, injuries, we've had a million guys on our roster. It's been a tough year for everybody in all honesty."

Indeed, the Pacers might have had a chance at the postseason if Haliburton was the only player who suffered a significant injury but they started losing key pieces for significant stretches in the preseason when veteran backup point guard T.J. McConnell strained his hamstring in the preseason opener. In Games 1, 2 and 3, point guard Andrew Nembhard, wing Bennedict Mathurin and forward Obi Toppin each suffered injuries that kept them out four at least several weeks, with Toppin losing four months to a stress fracture in his right foot. In mid-November, forward Aaron Nesmith suffered a knee sprain that cost him five weeks. Forward Johnny Furphy dealt with ankle injuries early in the year and then tore his ACL in February. The Pacers acquired center Ivica Zubac from the Clippers in February, held him out for several weeks to heal from a December ankle sprain, played him six games and then lost him for the rest of the year to a fractured rib.

The Pacers had to make use of several hardship 10-day contracts and non-guaranteed deals on players who barely lasted 10 days themselves to get through November and December. They ended up playing 27 players at some point in the season and they used 48 starting lineups in 82 games.

Despite all the injuries and all the defeat, the Pacers motivated themselves by saying they needed to maintain high-standards so that they could get back to being themselves next year when Haliburton and others return. Though they were proud of the progress they made in the season's final three weeks, the players who were on the floor and Haliburton acknowledged that, on the whole, it didn't meet the standards the Pacers set in their last two playoff runs.

"If we're being honest with ourselves, there was a drop-off," Haliburton said. "We talked about it early in the year. The standard is the standard. We had that conversation as a group early. There was a drop-off. It's hard not to when there's a ton of different injuries, different lineups. When things aren't going your way and you're losing a bunch of games early, the record is not looking good, it's hard for there not to be. But those are things that we're gonna correct through the summer, through training camp."

He's also excited for the prospect of bringing in a top-four draft pick. The Pacers aren't guaranteed to get one, but with a bottom-three record they have a 52% chance of landing a top-four pick and a 14% chance of getting the No. 1 overall pick. They conditionally included the pick in the trade that acquired Zubac, so they don't get to keep it if it doesn't land in the top four. However, Haliburton follows college basketball closely and has praised the freshman class on social media so he knows what kind of talent is there. The players presumed to go in the top four are BYU's A.J. Dybantsa, Duke's Cameron Boozer, Kansas' Darryn Peterson and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson.

"Any year you have a chance to get top pick you're excited," Haliburton said. "I think there's a lot of guys in the draft that are really good."

Haliburton represented the Pacers on the dais at the draft lottery the last time they were involved in 2023. It was a much anticipated lottery because it was the year Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama was drafted. The Pacers, who finished 35-47 that year, didn't win a top-four position and ended up with the seventh pick. They swapped spots with the Wizards and ended up taking Jarace Walker at No. 8 overall.

"Our pick is kind of a coin toss to a point," Haliburton said. "I didn't have a lot of luck the last time I went so I will not be at the draft lottery. I will be watching it just like you guys. But obviously we hope we get that pick. Any time you can get young talent you want to."

Haliburton knows that next season's team will not be given a pass on a bad season the way this one was if they stay healthy. He knows expectations will be high, especially if they add that top four pick to the mix because they still have most of the pieces left from the back-to-back deep playoff runs.

So he knows it will be on him to perform and to keep the standards high for everyone else.

"Guys gotta get with it," Haliburton said. "They know what time it is. Me coming back, guys getting healthy, they know our goal is to win a championship. There's no other goal. Guys gotta get ready for that."

Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Tyrese Haliburton credits Rick Carlisle for making most of lost season