Pacers Given Interesting Win Total Despite Tyrese Haliburton Return

The Indiana Pacers will be entering the new NBA season with a ton of confidence following a poor 2025-26 outcome.

Indiana only won 19 games a year ago, mainly due to the fact that the team didn't have star guard Tyrese Haliburton on the floor with them. Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, forcing him to miss the entire 2025-26 season.

But the guard is now back and ready to go, looking to help the Pacers get back to being true title contenders in the Eastern Conference. With Haliburton on the roster, Indiana has the ability to be a title threat again, and this team could be very dangerous.

NBA analyst Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report has given the Pacers a win total prediction of 43.5 entering the new season. Given that Haliburton hasn't played in a long time, and that the team may slow-play him into the rotation, this number seems fair entering the year.

But if Haliburton is truly healthy as he claims, the Pacers could easily push for 50 wins this season. Having the star on the floor changes everything for Indiana, helping the franchise get back to being a run-and-gun offensive show.

Haliburton thrives pushing the ball up court, and without him, the Pacers offense looked lost at times last season. Indiana used their strong play of pace to its advantage during its deep playoff run two seasons ago, with opposing teams now figuring out how to guard them well.

Head coach Rick Carlisle will be trying to get this team back into this style of play, and Haliburton allows them to make it a reality. Indiana has been at its best over the years when running up and down the court, allowing its playmakers to do what they do best.

The Pacers have surrounded Haliburton with all sorts of scoring options and co-star Pascal Siakam, giving this team strong depth. Siakam is one of the veteran presences on this roster, and since his arrival a few years ago, the Pacers have been a much stronger team.

Indiana also now has center Ivica Zubac, giving this team a true big man to hold down the paint this season. Zubac is an excellent rebounder and finisher at the rim, and he should take advantage of the strong shot attempts that the Pacers will give him.

All in all, this could be a very special season for the Pacers, and Haliburton raises the ceiling to them being a championship-or-bust squad.