Nearly eight months into his recovery from a torn Achilles, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton continues to progress toward an eventual return to the court, although that will not come until the 2026-27 season. Haliburton has progressed to playing full-court 4-on-4 games against team interns and some of the Pacers’ reserves but said on the “Mind the Game” podcast with LeBron James that he still has “some time” before he will be back to his old self.
The new version of Haliburton that takes the floor next season may also be a bit larger and take on a more physical play style. Indiana’s point guard said he is up 30 pounds since the last game of the 2025 season and that if he maintains some of that new weight, he can use size to his advantage when he returns.
“That’s really something that I’m trying to focus on through my rehab, through my time to get back is just being more physical,” Haliburton said. “I was 180 pounds on Game 7 day. I’m 210 right now. I’m up 30 pounds, bro. And obviously when I start to run, I’m gonna get that off me. Some of it’s not good because I’ve been drowning my sorrows in cookies and ice cream and stuff. But I think I see that and it’s a way for me to be more physical at the rim, to get more free throws.
“Getting into chests, tangling arms, making all these perfect reads to get to the free throw line is just something I’m really trying to focus on adding through rehab as I watch the game.”
Time away from the court also allows Haliburton to watch games through a different lens. Rather than taking in game film from a scouting perspective, the 25-year-old Iowa State product has spent time putting himself in other players’ shoes and learning about tendencies and skills that he can adopt when he is back at full strength.
In fact, Haliburton pointed to Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard as a player who boasts the kind of physical game he wishes to emulate.
“I think seeing the game of basketball, I’m watching it in a different light,” Haliburton said. “I think it’s different when you’re getting ready to play a team like Boston, for example, and we’ve got Payton Pritchard. He’s nice. All I’m focused on is can I get a stop. I’m not thinking about how he’s making his reads and stuff.”
Playing bigger and stronger after his extended layoff could help Haliburton take his game to the next level. He is already a versatile defender and talented scorer but stands to benefit from putting good weight onto his frame.
If Haliburton becomes the latest player to fully overcome what is so often a devastating injury, the best days of his career as a burgeoning superstar could still lie ahead. But the NBA is still months away from learning whether that will be the case for the two-time All-Star and 2024 assists leader.
“The biggest thing is I really am glad for where I am,” Haliburton said. “I’m thankful for it. The process has sucked, man. There’s been good days, bad days. There’s been days where I sit there and I keep asking, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ It’s hard for me to understand in this moment, but I understand that it’s allowing me to grow in different ways, to grow in my faith, to grow in all these different ways that have been good for me.”
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