Indiana Pacers fans are bracing for a season of change and uncertainty, but if there’s one thing they can count on, it’s that the storylines swirling around their squad are as compelling as ever. With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for the entire 2025-26 NBA campaign as he recovers from a devastating Achilles injury, the Pacers are being forced to reimagine their identity—and a pair of young guards are at the heart of the conversation about who could become the league’s next Most Improved Player.
On October 15, the basketball world buzzed with debate as The Athletic NBA Daily podcast spotlighted Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin as prime candidates for the coveted award. Nembhard, often pegged as the frontrunner, is expected to shoulder much of the playmaking and leadership duties in Haliburton’s absence. But Zena Keita, a voice respected for her sharp analysis, offered a twist: “He’s going to have a lot more burden on his shoulders to be a focal point of their offense and be that off-ball creator now that Tyrese is out,” Keita said. “So, I’m like—I love Andrew Nembhard as a pick. I mean, I literally almost made it. But I think that Ben will be the Most Improved. He had career numbers last year. Points, rebounds, assists—high. And he was doing that off the bench. So, I mean.”
It’s a tantalizing prospect. Mathurin, who dazzled during Indiana’s Finals run last year, posted career-bests across the board—points, rebounds, assists—all while coming off the bench. His knack for getting to the free-throw line and his fearless approach to big moments have already made him a fan favorite. Now, with the Pacers forced to adapt without their All-NBA floor general, the opportunity for Mathurin to step into the spotlight is undeniable.
Nembhard’s case for Most Improved Player is straightforward. With Haliburton out, he’s the logical choice to inherit the lion’s share of minutes and responsibilities at the point. The challenge? Filling the shoes of a player who was the engine of Indiana’s offense from the moment he arrived. While Nembhard may not replicate Haliburton’s jaw-dropping production, the increased workload could easily translate into a breakout season—if he rises to the occasion.
Meanwhile, Mathurin’s trajectory is less linear but no less intriguing. If Indiana decides to put the ball in his hands more often, his numbers could soar. The Pacers are likely to experiment, tweaking their style to compensate for Haliburton’s absence in both scoring and playmaking. For both Nembhard and Mathurin, the path to Most Improved Player runs straight through opportunity—and this season, Indiana is ripe with it.
Yet the Pacers’ story is about more than just numbers and awards. It’s about resilience, legacy, and the emotional toll of chasing greatness. That theme takes center stage in the newly released trailer for Netflix’s “Starting Five,” which premieres October 16 and features Indiana legend Reggie Miller passing the proverbial torch to Haliburton. The documentary captures Miller’s heartfelt praise for Haliburton’s willingness to risk everything for the team, especially in the crucible of the 2025 NBA Finals.
“All I will say is, look at Game 6, look at Game 7 of the NBA Finals. There will never, ever be a question about a guy’s heart, will, determination,” Miller declared. “No one will second-guess any decision that he ever makes again. He risked it all. He risked it all for a franchise, for a state, for an organization.”
Haliburton’s response, shown in the trailer, was raw and moving. Fighting back tears, he said, “It’s just like, you gotta move on, move forward, but like, I don’t know. It’s tough, but I’m gonna work my a— off to get back there. I’m gonna do it in a Pacers uniform. This place is very special for me. And like I said, I wouldn’t change my decision for a second, and I’ll work my a— off every day to get back there. But we’re not guaranteed. But we’re gonna fight like hell to try and make it happen.”
The Finals heartbreak is still fresh. Indiana was just one win away from a historic upset of the 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2025 NBA Finals. Haliburton, who had delivered game-winning shots in each round of the playoffs—including a dramatic finish in Game 1 of the Finals—was on pace for one of the most memorable postseason runs in recent memory. But fate intervened. Early in Game 7, Haliburton suffered his Achilles tear. The Thunder seized the moment and the championship, leaving Pacers fans to wonder what might have been.
The injury forced Haliburton out for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, and while he’s expected to make a full recovery, it’s impossible to predict whether Indiana will get another shot at the Larry O’Brien trophy anytime soon. The Pacers’ star, once controversially voted “Most Overrated Player” in an NBA players’ poll, silenced critics with his heart and heroics. As Miller put it, “There will never ever be a question of a guy’s heart, will, determination, his game. No one will ever second-guess any decision that he ever makes again.”
The emotional weight of Miller’s endorsement clearly resonated with Haliburton. “That means a lot (coming) from him,” Haliburton said. “There’s not many people that can say things to make me feel this way. That just shows what he means to me, and what this place means to me, so it’s pretty cool.”
Off the court, Haliburton has been in the headlines for reasons far removed from basketball. Once a Milwaukee Brewers fan, the Oshkosh, Wisconsin native has become something of a baseball “free agent.” After the Brewers canceled his ceremonial first pitch in the summer of 2024—reportedly in response to the Pacers knocking the Bucks out of the NBA playoffs—Haliburton began openly rooting against his former team. During recent Pacers preseason games, he was spotted wearing Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers jerseys, each time aligning himself with the Brewers’ postseason opponents. “I was a Brewers fan,” Haliburton explained on The Pat McAfee Show. “And then I was supposed to throw the first pitch last summer, and they X’ed that after the playoff series. So I said, ‘You know what? I’m no longer a Brewers fan.’”
This playful trolling has added another layer to Haliburton’s public persona, as he cheers on teams like the Cubs and Dodgers while the Brewers chase just their second-ever World Series berth. For now, Haliburton remains a “free agent” in the baseball world, but his loyalty to Indiana and the Pacers is unquestioned.
As the 2025-26 NBA season tips off, all eyes will be on Indiana’s young backcourt. Will Andrew Nembhard seize the moment and make the leap to stardom? Could Bennedict Mathurin’s scoring prowess catapult him into the Most Improved Player conversation? And can the Pacers, fueled by the legacy of their fallen leader, find a way to stay in the hunt?
One thing’s for certain: with Haliburton’s spirit looming large and a new generation ready to take the reins, the Pacers’ journey promises no shortage of drama, heart, and hope.
