Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Says 2025 Team Has Major Upside

Ricardo Klein | Apr 15, 2025

Apr 10, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) celebrates a made basket in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of their series, which starts on Saturday. The Pacers will host the Bucks this time and look for the same result as last season.

The Pacers took care of business last year against the Bucks in the first round and made an improbable run to the Eastern Conference finals. It was an unexpected run that was met with hope and optimism by the Pacers and their fans. While last year's run was sweet, the page has turned to these playoffs.

This is a very different team, at least mentally, and they are approaching it as such. Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton was asked about the difference between this season and the last. He was brutally honest, saying that while last year was fun, this 2025 team has a different mindset, and the only goal is to win a title.

“Last year, we were just happy to be in the playoffs. This year, we have expectations - and that’s a championship.”

Tyrese Haliburton says a big difference between last year’s playoffs & this year’s is the #Pacers home court advantage. Emphasizes they have to protect home court. pic.twitter.com/SIwDTcZTsR

— Angela Moryan (@AngelaMoryanTV) April 15, 2025

“Last year, we were just happy to be in the playoffs. This year, we have expectations - and that’s a championship.”

Last season, the Pacers should have been happy to be in the playoffs. They made the playoffs as the No. 6 seed last year with a 47-35 record tied with two other teams, but luckily, they had to tiebreaker with the Philadelphia 76ers to avoid the Play-In Tournament.

The Pacers were a fun and cohesive team to watch, but now the expectations, at least from within, are different. Indiana feels like it has enough to make a deep playoff run due to its high-powered offense and stout, aggressive, hard-nosed defense, which it has displayed this season.

Led by Haliburton, the Pacers have a legitimate shot at making a deep playoff run. The journey there will not be easy, but they have the traits to do what they did last year and possibly more.

While talent could get a team far in the playoffs, a small combination of luck is also necessary. Every championship team has a little bit of luck on the way, and the Pacers will need some of that if they want to reach their aspirations.

Haliburton is the driving force for the Pacers. he will need to elevate his play and then some if Indiana wants to make another deep playoff run.

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For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, head on over to Indiana Pacers on SI.