Indiana Pacers president Kevin Pritchard recently reflected on the team’s playoff exit, stating that if Tyrese Haliburton had not been injured, the Pacers would have been capable of winning the NBA championship.
Looking back at the Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference Finals, Pritchard said, “That seventh game was brutal. But if Tyrese hadn’t gone down, I truly believe we could have won. It might sound arrogant, but that’s how I feel.”
Haliburton suffered a hamstring injury during the Eastern Conference Finals, significantly hindering the Pacers’ offensive flow.
Discussing the franchise’s direction, Pritchard emphasized that the core roster would remain intact. “We have seven or eight key players returning, plus flexibility in free agency. This team deserves another shot at a title,” he said. He also explained the earlier decision to trade a draft pick: “We could have held onto that pick, but we would have had a huge hole at the five. I didn’t want to risk missing out on a player like Zu (referring to Ivica Zubac). I wasn’t willing to take that chance.”
Pritchard’s remarks acknowledge the devastating impact of injuries on title aspirations while demonstrating management’s confidence in the current roster. The Pacers’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals already exceeded external expectations, and retaining the core framework positions them as a formidable force in the East next season.
