Three Priorities for the Pacers After the All-Star Break

The Indiana Pacers have 27 games remaining after the All-Star break. While a postseason push is unlikely, the final stretch of the season still carries significant value.

With that in mind, here are three priorities Indiana should focus on over the remainder of the year.

1. Player Development

kam — Feb 11, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle talks to guard Kam Jones (7) during the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

This stretch should be about growth.

Indiana has several young players who need extended opportunities to develop individually and within the team’s system. The primary names to watch are Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard and Kam Jones.

Roster decisions loom in the near future for all three. Giving them expanded roles now allows the front office and coaching staff to better evaluate what they can become, not just as rotational players, but as long-term pieces.

Development is not just about scoring numbers. It is about defensive awareness, decision-making, consistency and understanding the pace and spacing required in Indiana’s system.

2. Building Chemistry with Ivica Zubac

With the addition of Ivica Zubac, Indiana believes it has found its long-term answer at center. The remaining games provide an opportunity to establish chemistry before next season.

Although Tyrese Haliburton is sidelined, there is still value in allowing the other projected starters to build familiarity with Zubac’s tendencies, screening angles, positioning and defensive communication.

When Haliburton returns, he will have studied and absorbed everything from the sidelines, which is a strength of his as a student of the game. The bigger priority now is ensuring the rest of the rotation, including second-unit players, develops comfort playing alongside “Big Zu.”

The more seamless that transition becomes, the easier it will be to reintegrate Haliburton next season.

3. Health Above All Else

obi toppin — Feb 11, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (left to right) and guard T.J. McConnell (9) and forward Obi Toppin (1) watch from the bench during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Perhaps the most important priority: health.

This has been an injury-riddled season for Indiana, and treating the remainder of the year as a reset period makes sense. Coming off two deep postseason runs in recent years, preserving players physically must take precedence over short-term wins.

We have already seen Johnny Furphy suffer a torn ACL after an awkward landing. That alone should reinforce the need for caution.

Expect possible rest days and conservative injury management as the season winds down. Protecting the roster, particularly key veterans, is essential.

This stretch also presents an opportunity to ease Obi Toppin back into game action following foot surgery. Allowing him to regain rhythm and comfort at full speed is far more beneficial than shutting him down entirely.

Indiana may not have much meaningful basketball left in the standings, but roughly one-third of the season remains. If the Pacers commit to development, chemistry and health, this final stretch can serve as a springboard into a far more competitive 2026–27 campaign.

1. Player Development

2. Building Chemistry with Ivica Zubac

3. Health Above All Else

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