Rick Carlisle weighed in on Tyrese Haliburton's return to the Indiana Pacers this season.
Star guard Tyrese Haliburton will be making his return to the court this coming season for the Indiana Pacers, giving the team its leader back.
After missing all of last season following a torn Achilles, Haliburton has been itching to get back on the floor. Having him back should allow the Pacers to contend for a title again, following a poor 2025-26 season.
Indiana was able to win just 19 games a year ago, seeing the team completely falter from the success the year before. But with Haliburton back, the Pacers should reclaim their spot among the elite teams in the Eastern Conference this year.
However, while speaking about the return of Haliburton, head coach Rick Carlisle did slow the breaks on him being the savior for this team. The veteran head coach said that the star guard will be part of the team's "ecosystem", rather than being a one-man show.
Carlisle wants the rest of the players to understand this, especially since Haliburton hasn't played since Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Indiana was at its best during the 2025-26 season when everyone on the roster played together, rather than just giving Haliburton the ball to let him score.
This isn't to say that Haliburton won't be the top option for the Pacers this season, but Carlisle wants the others to play their games, too. If the rest of the guys around Haliburton on the roster can step up, it would take some of the burden off the star guard, especially early on in his return.
The Pacers may slow-play Haliburton in the rotation, giving him limited minutes at first so he can build himself back up. Haliburton hasn't played since Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, and he may be a little rusty upon his return.
But Carlisle will work with him carefully to make sure that he's doing well as the year goes on. Haliburton is the ultimate competitor, and he will want to get back to being the heavy minutes guy for the Pacers.
However, Indiana may need to save him from himself, at least at the start, to protect his health over the long regular season. But getting their star back should provide a big boost to the entire roster, and Haliburton will look to get his team back into title contention.
The Pacers will open the new NBA season on October 21 against the New Orleans Pelicans on the road.
