After getting a style of postseason success, the Pacers wish to do much more in 2024-25 season – Winnipeg Free Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton acquired his actual style of playoff success earlier this 12 months.

This has solely fueled his starvation to succeed in new heights – even when the doubters nonetheless exist.

Sure, the Pacers’ All-Star guard is again on the town this week for the beginning of coaching camp and able to reply the skeptics who’re calling Indiana’s shock run to the Jap Convention finals a coup probability.

“I believe the response and the opinion that we’ve about us as a gaggle after having success final 12 months, and I type of imply by that, it was a little bit of a fluke within the thoughts from some individuals, is a superb motivator and an excellent irritation,” Haliburton mentioned Monday throughout the group’s media day. “I believe for us, as a gaggle, we’ve a gaggle of men which have tasks on their shoulders for various causes.”

And so they intend to care for enterprise the identical method they did final season – with a greater ending kick.

Regardless of by no means successful a Wisconsin state championship in highschool, by no means showing in an NCAA match recreation at Iowa State, and lacking the playoffs in every of his first three NBA seasons, it is fairly good to be Haliburton lately.

The previous lottery choose signed a max contract earlier than final season, thrived below the glare of the inaugural Emirates NBA Cup and used that have to construct momentum for playoff victories over Milwaukee and New York. Being named All-NBA additionally got here with a pay increase and his new profile made him a sought-after particular person, in additional methods than one.

“I knew I used to be going to be a nasty man on this, however I did not know Jalen Brunson was going to be part of it,” Haliburton mentioned, referring to a WWE occasion that includes him on the identical Madison Sq. Backyard the place he helped get rid of the Knicks in Recreation 7. “I used to be like, ‘OK, I suppose we’re doing this.’ It was a variety of enjoyable. I suppose I did not understand how a lot I used to be hated there.

That is at all times the case when formidable stars go to the Large Apple, and at 24, that is the place Haliburton stands.

He enters this season because the league’s reigning assists champion and could be a two-time champion if accidents hadn’t value him 26 video games in 2022-23. He additionally has a model new gold medal from his first look on the USA males’s Olympic basketball group, though he solely performed a couple of minutes, which additionally served as a motivational instrument.

Haliburton not solely struck up a friendship this summer season with Stephen Curry, the NBA’s all-time chief in 3-point capturing, but additionally the opposite large Indy star who performed faculty ball at Iowa — Caitlin Clark.

“Seeing the explosion of ladies’s basketball and a variety of that being (Indiana) fever and simply being in my yard was actually, actually cool,” Haliburton mentioned. “I turned fairly shut with Connor McCaffery, him interning with us final 12 months, and we turned fairly shut with Caitlin and him, me and my girlfriend. All of us have a gaggle chat the place we speak about every part very often, so it was cool to develop a friendship along with her.

However at this time, Haliburton is only a enterprise.

He is bored with listening to and studying all of the projections of Indiana lining up behind reigning NBA champion Boston and its stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks, Joel Embiid and Paul George of Philadelphia and the revamped Knicks, who’re anticipated so as to add Karl-Anthony Cities quickly amongst others.

Haliburton’s teammates do not imagine it both.

“It may take a variety of work, however I believe we’ve the expertise and the traits to have the ability to do it,” ahead Pascal Siakam mentioned when requested if these Pacers may win the title. “There are going to be a variety of ups and downs and we’ve to deal with the duty and get higher each day, however I believe we’ve the items.”