Tyrese Haliburton Says The Pacers Need A Reality Check And Are Putting Out An Embarrassing Product

“The product we’re putting on the floor right now as a group is embarrassing ... There needs to be a reality check right now, individually and collectively,” - Tyrese Haliburton

Preach. Thanks Tyrese for saying what every fan has been thinking. This time last year the fast pace Indiana Pacers were an incredibly fun team to watch. Maybe not so much if you enjoy defensive basketball, but watching a young team come together and overachieve while dropping 130 points a game was exciting. An underdog team filled with underdog players like Haliburton, Nesmith, McConnell, Obi Toppin that were so easy to root for. The team was having fun, the fans were having fun. 

These days, the Pacers are an absolute chore to watch. I see it's game night on the schedule, and I get the same feeling I have when I look at the calendar and see I have a dental appointment scheduled. Only I'd get more joy out of listening to my teeth get scraped than the product this team is putting out on the court. The offense has slowed down, there's no sense of connectedness, and you never know what version Haliburton is going to show up for the game. Post game, team leader Haliburton showed up and said all the right things, but can this broken team be fixed? 

Obviously for a team with a laundry list of injured players, getting healthy will help fix some of the problems. The 3 guards coming back will mean less turnovers, and less Jarace Walker and Quenton Jackson minutes. All great things, but that won't fix the Pacers biggest problem - their bigs. Last season, iJax and Jalen Smith were HUGE during the regular season. Having two back up centers that could check into the game and not only maintain the lead, but help you win games was an incredible advantage. This season Myles has been playing more minutes, with less of an impact, but he needs help. Moses Brown looked like Wilt Chamberlin for 2 seconds against the Wizards, and Obi Toppin filling in at the 5 takes him out of his usual role and throws him into a spot where he's at a disadvantage. Where will the Pacers help come from at the center position that fits the Pacers style? Would the Pacers be willing to trade for a big? Unfortunately if the Pacers do pony up for a trade, they'd be forced to get rid of another piece that made last years team click, and a future piece like Jarace Walker doesn't seem worth giving up. 

I appreciate Haliburton stepping up and being the leader of this team, he's the face of the franchise, this is what he should be doing. Currently the Pacers are looking at around 35 wins, back to where Indy was during the rebuild years. More effort will get this team wins on the road against below average teams like the Toronto Raptors, but I'm afraid the reality is a long look in the mirror isn't going to make this team a playoff contender. 

The Pacers are on a back to back tonight in Brooklyn, and I'm wishing I had a doctors appointment scheduled. Luckily, Episode 2 of Surviving Barstool premiers tonight and will be getting the big screen treatment while the Pacers are on the lap top.