The Indiana Pacers’ incredible NBA Finals run came up just short last season. Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn right Achilles Tendon in the first quarter of Game 7, ending his 2025-26 campaign before it started. Indiana has struggled mightily without its starting point guard, but the team and Haliburton recently received positive news regarding his recovery timetable.
Tyrese Haliburton is Ahead of Schedule on His Return From Injury
According to the National Library of Medicine, the average recovery time for a torn Achilles tendon in an NBA player is 10 months. Haliburton sustained the injury on June 22, 2025. Based on this information, he could return around April of 2026- the final month of the regular season.
However, the Pacers’ star is doing everything in his power to come back sooner than expected.
According to Pacers reporter Scott Agness, Haliburton “remains ahead of schedule” in his recovery.
Haliburton remains ahead of schedule.
This video encapsulates the Pacers’ season. Star player making progress as another looks on in a boot after surgery. More checkpoints to come. https://t.co/hxRVVuU9cr
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) November 24, 2025
It is undoubtedly an encouraging sign to see Haliburton power up for a dunk off of his right leg. His reaction after the slam shows how passionate he is to progress toward a return. “Oh, Yeah!” Haliburton exclaimed after throwing it down.
Despite being ahead of schedule, Indiana smartly ruled out Haliburton for this season. It would not make sense for the Pacers to bring back their franchise centerpiece in the last few weeks of the 2025-26 campaign. Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, and shot 38.8% on 7.7 3-point attempts last season. He earned his second All-NBA Third-Team selection and All-Star appearance.
The 12th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is crucial to Indiana’s offensive attack. Last season, head coach Rick Carlisle did not like to run many set plays. He saved them for certain situations but wanted the team to rely on ball and player movement to create quality shots.
Haliburton’s ability to make quick passing reads off pick-and-rolls was a staple of this “random” offense. He called it “organized chaos.” However, the Pacers’ start to this campaign has been anything but organized without its star guard.
Pacers Struggling Without Haliburton
Indiana sits 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 2-14 record. Their offense, which ranked seventh last season, scores just 110.01 points per game – good for 27th in the association. Pascal Siakam shoulders a heavy offensive load without Haliburton, carrying a career-high 28.4% usage.
On top of Haliburton’s season-ending injury, Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, and Obi Toppin all missed significant time to start the season. Toppin underwent surgery on his right foot and is expected to miss at least three months. Nembhard and Mathruin only played in nine and five games, respectively, after each of them got hurt in the opening week.
This season is rapidly heading toward a lost campaign for the Pacers. However, they own their first-round pick in a loaded 2026 draft class. If Haliburton comes back and Indiana receives a top lottery pick in the draft, the Pacers could rise back to contention.