Tyrese Haliburton is too good to fight any longer

Tyrese Haliburton is experiencing the worst slump of his career. The two-time All-Star struggled to replicate the level of performance he showed last season when the Indiana Pacers reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

On Thursday, the Pacers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-114. Haliburton’s struggles were evident as he scored four points on six shots. However, he did provide eight assists, a reminder that his playmaking is the only area that hasn’t regressed this season.

Speaking to the media after the game, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle noted that Haliburton was guarded by Lu Dort, one of the NBA’s best defenders.

“Ty only had four points and six shots at the end, but they hired Lu Dort for him,” Carlisle said. “And Lu Dort is as good a defender as there is in this league.”

There is no denying that Dort is an elite defender. However, Haliburton is one of the best guards in the NBA. A player of his level shouldn’t be tied up so constantly, regardless of who is guarding him. Instead, Haliburton must find ways to create separation and fire his shot. The Pacers need him to be a scoring threat on every possession.

Every player has difficult spells. Haliburton is working on the extra defensive attention he draws every night. At some point he has to figure out how to leave his mark on the games. Only then can the Pacers take the necessary steps forward and prove they can compete in the Eastern Conference.

Haliburton is too good to fight any longer. Still, his current regression is part of the growing pains for a player rising to stardom. Unfortunately for the Pacers, that means their chances of making a push this season will diminish. Without All-Star Haliburton, Carlisle’s team wouldn’t have enough firepower to compete at the top of the East.