Pacers are right to be careful with Tyrese Haliburton — but it could be costly

Tyrese Haliburton is back, and just like that, the Indiana Pacers are once again considered potential title contenders. After all, their core from their 2025 NBA Finals run is back with some improvements. Be that as it may, the team will be overly cautious with its superstar, and rightfully so, although it could actually be costly in the grand scheme of things.

Indiana will be conservative with Haliburton this season notwithstanding the fact that the All-Star guard himself previously said that there will be no restrictions for him this coming season. Naturally, the team will sit him out from time to time, and even the most minor discomfort will prompt their brass to act accordingly and give him rest.

But with the East expected to have a tight race, the price to pay for this otherwise justified approach could be steep.

Pacers might have no choice but to sacrifice extra wins to prioritize Tyrese Haliburton and his health

The Pacers are better with Haliburton. That was made as resoundingly clear as possible last season. As such, in games where he gets sidelined, Indiana will be much more vulnerable as a collective. Losses will be more frequent.

Preserving Haliburton for the postseason will be the topmost priority for the Pacers this season. However, it will also be in their best interests to chase the highest seeding possible. After all, the East is now housing the defending champions and other powerhouses while they were dormant without their best player.

Given how Indiana operates, though, there is no double bind here. Haliburton's health will be more important for them than chasing more wins and a higher seed. That is the right choice of course, but it does not erase the fact that there is a trade-off, one that stands to grow bigger given the competitive landscape in the East.

Still, the Pacers have a good reason to be optimistic. They made the Finals just recently while being the No. 4 seed in the East. And given their valuable experience from that run, they might just be one of the very few teams whose playoff positioning will not matter as much.