How the Pacers’ attack could look more potent since last we saw Tyrese Haliburton

The biggest question facing the Indiana Pacers is: Will Tyrese Haliburton look like Tyrese Haliburton? Even if the answer is yes, though, the Pacers won’t look quite the same as they did the last time we saw him play.

One year ago, Myles Turner shockingly left the Pacers for the Milwaukee Bucks. Then, ahead of last season’s trade deadline, the front office dealt two first-rounders to the Los Angeles Clippers to acquire Ivica Zubac. At first, going from Turner to Zubac at the center position seems like a strange stylistic choice for a team that reached Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals by turning games into track meets. Turner’s 3-point shooting was a cog in that fast-paced offense. But Zubac, who played in only five games for Indiana last season due to injuries, is better in every other category.

(Ethan Palowitz/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Transition offense is usually the first concern that gets brought up involving Zubac. But during the 2024-25 season, Haliburton assisted 158 transition baskets with Turner on the floor. Only six of those shots went to Turner. Just six! Will there inevitably be plays where those guys are flying up the floor and Zubac is barely crossing half-court? Yes. But who cares? The easiest way to play fast is to get stops, and Zubac is one of the better interior defenders and rebounders in the league. Turner blocks more shots, but Zubac is a better positional defender and a far better rebounder. In other words, Zubac doesn’t need to lead the fast break, but he can be the reason it begins.

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And if the fast break stalls, Zubac can trail into a screen, roll into the paint, or crash the glass. That’s usually all the Pacers need from a center in transition.

Indiana posted a 119.7 offensive rating with Haliburton and Turner on the floor together compared to 119.3 with Haliburton and without Turner. Their offense produced basically the same when it was a non-shooting big like Thomas Bryant or Isaiah Jackson instead of Turner. That’s because bringing value on the perimeter is about much more than just shooting. Zubac is a quick processor who can run a handoff or hit cutters, and he brings a…

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Author : Kevin O'Connor

Publish date : 2026-09-30 14:57:00

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