Perhaps the greatest tragedy of the 2025-26 NBA season was watching a defending conference champion navigate the loss of its star player to injury and fall all the way to the back-end of the league as a result.
But that star player is now ready to return, and by the looks of it, he’s already back with a vengeance.
Tyrese Haliburton, after missing the entirety of last season due to a devastating Achilles tear suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, looks primed to start his comeback when the new NBA campaign starts up in October.
And despite all the upheaval around the Association over the summer, Haliburton believes that he and his new-look Indiana Pacers have just as good a chance as anybody in the East to make it back to basketball’s biggest stage.
The Eastern Conference is wide open
Speaking on the “Numbers On The Board” podcast, Haliburton said that he couldn’t remember a time when the East was as competitive as it is now – and declared that he’s ready to make the most of the circumstances.