Pacers urged to replace injured Tyrese Haliburton with 76ers No. 1 pick bust

Jon Conahan

Pacers urged to replace injured Tyrese Haliburton with 76ers No. 1 pick bust image

NBA Entertainment

The Indiana Pacers accomplished plenty last season, losing in the NBA Finals in seven games. Had Tyrese Haliburton not gotten injured, perhaps the Pacers would’ve won a championship. Regardless, with Haliburton’s injury, it remains uncertain what the Pacers will look like next season. 

Some believe they could still be a decent team, but they'll have to figure some things out, and that could come in the form of signing a former Philadelphia 76ers player. 

Michael Pina of The Ringer wants them to do just that by going out and signing Ben Simmons, which could make 76ers fans happy to see him on another contending team in the Eastern Conference because of his lack of offense. 

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“I think there’s a perfect NBA team for him, though. One last chance for him to do something on a regular basis in a semi-relevant situation. Why not become the starting point guard for the Indiana Pacers? Throw Simmons the keys, ask him to impersonate Tyrese Haliburton, and just see what happens? This roster was built to accommodate and emphasize a pass-first point guard who races up and down the court. Why not take a flier? It’s a no-lose situation for Indy,” he wrote.

In some sense, Simmons could be a decent fit in Indiana. He's long, can run the floor like the Pacers love to do, and he's a great passer. 

However, he's not a great shooter and Indiana works best when it is hitting 3-point shots at a high clip. 

That was part of the reason why the Pacers were so good in the postseason last year, as they shot much better than they did during the regular season.

Jon Conahan

Jon Conahan is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. A 2022 Penn State University graduate who majored in journalism, he was also a member of the school's D1 baseball team. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Heavy and other outlets. Jon makes home in North Jersey, but also resides in Cape Coral, Florida, for parts of the year. He’s an avid fan of the New York Yankees, Miami Dolphins and Milwaukee Bucks.