Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Fuels Overrated Talk With Massive Inconsistency

The Indiana Pacers were right on the cusp of closing out their Eastern Conference Finals series against the New York Knicks, though the series will now go a game longer after Indiana lost Game 5.

There were role players like Andrew Nembard and Aaron Nesmith who struggled in the game, but the most noteworthy absence was Tyrese Haliburton's impact.

Haliburton has led this Pacers team all season long and throughout the playoffs, serving as a focal point offensively who scores and distributes the ball at a high level.

On Thursday against the Knicks in Game 5, best version of Haliburton did not show up to play, as he scored only eight points and six assists throughout the whole game.

While he is typically able to be relied upon, he has shown stretches of inconsistency, which have led to playoff losses for the Pacers.

John Schuhmann, writer for NBA.com, discovered a trend that highlights the impact that Haliburton's struggles can have on the team.

"The Pacers’ offense starts with Haliburton, who totaled just eight points in his 32 minutes in Game 5," Schumann wrote in an article.

"He’s now averaged 21.3 points (on 48% shooting) in the Pacers’ 11 playoff wins and just 11.5 (on 39%) in their four losses.

Given the team's splits with him performing well and poorly, it is fair to say that the Pacers tend to go as Haliburton does. His level of play determines how successful and unsuccessful the team is.