Injuries are an inevitable part of the NBA, and Achilles tears are among the toughest to overcome. Months after Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered a devastating right Achilles injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the All-Star guard seems to be making steady progress. Following surgery and an intense rehab process, Haliburton, a few days back, shared that he aims to walk unaided, without a boot. It’s likely only a matter of time before he is asked about his recovery.

During his recent appearance on the show ‘Sundae Conversation‘ with Caleb Pressley, Haliburton revealed that he’s finally able to walk without a boot and is making great strides in his rehab. “I’m feeling good. I’m walking now. No boot. Probably still got another like six, seven months. So, we’ll see. It’s a slow process,” Haliburton said. As good as it feels to hear him progressing, the Pacers fan will not see their star player suiting up anytime soon.

If at all Hali has to play, it will only happen if the Pacers make another deep playoff run in the upcoming season. Well, that’s not much of a surprise, given that the type of injury the guard has sustained usually takes around a year to recover. However, Haliburton’s update is quite contrasting to that of his Team USA teammate, Jayson Tatum, who has caused a massive stir within the NBA community through his recent update.

The Boston Celtics star was recently seen dunking, just months after sustaining the same Achilles injury as Tyrese Haliburton. In fact, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Tatum is quite likely to make a comeback before the end of the regular season. Now this might make you think that Haliburton isn’t on the right trajectory, but that’s not the case at all. On the contrary, it’s Jayson Tatum who’s showcasing extraordinary recovery capabilities because players in the past have taken over a year to recover Achilles injury.

Even though Tatum has sent a clear message to his franchise, there’s a lot of debate on whether he should play this season or not. More so, because another superstar who tore his Achilles muscle last season is Portland’s Damian Lillard, who is also completely ruled out for the 2025-26 season. This should give you a fair idea that Tyrese Haliburton is on the right timeline. Nonetheless, while the Pacers adjust to life without their star guard for the new campaign, they now face another huge dilemma.

The Pacers suffer another setback before the new season

As if losing your superstar point guard, who led them to the NBA Finals last season, wasn’t enough, the Indiana Pacers have suffered a massive blow right ahead of the new season. Although the Pacers accepted Tyrese Haliburton’s absence, there was a level of comfort around the organization knowing they had someone like T.J. McConnell to command their lines this season. However, even that has fallen apart after the veteran guard suffered a hamstring injury during Tuesday’s preseason game against Minnesota.

Now, that’s truly devastating news for Indy, as after the game, head coach Rick Carlisle did not sound too optimistic about McConnell’s condition. “Not as bad as it could have been, but it’s going to take some time,” he told the reporters after the game. Now this adds another void to fill on top of the one that Tyrese Haliburton’s absence left. Nonetheless, the front office seems to have wasted no time in trying to fill the gap.

The Pacers quickly inked veteran guard Cameron Payne to a training camp deal. This move saw the franchise waive Delon Wright after he also suffered an injury in Tuesday’s game. It’s safe to say that it’s been a rough past few months for Indiana’s backcourt, which it suffering back-to-back blows. Now it will be worth watching how the front office and the coaching staff deal with this issue, as the new season is just a few days away, and things don’t look too promising for last year’s finalists.