by Brett Siegel
The NBA In-Season Tournament has captured the full attention of everyone around the league. While many players and coaches were skeptical of the idea when it was first announced by commissioner Adam Silver, this tournament has been everything the league hoped for. Just four teams remain in contention for the first-ever NBA Cup, one of which is the Indiana Pacers. Nobody expected the Pacers to be in a position to contend for anything, yet All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton has reinvented the image of his team.
Haliburton has been sensational this season and not only is he on track to make the All-Star Game again, but the young guard is starting to put together a case to be in the MVP conversation. Speaking of MVP, Haliburton is surely the favorite for the NBA In-Season Tournament MVP award right now, especially after record the first triple-double of his career against the Boston Celtics in the quarterfinals.
The Pacers and Haliburton are now in Las Vegas and will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the semifinals on Thursday night. Just two wins away from capturing the first-ever NBA Cup, Haliburton may very well end up leading the Pacers to their first major accolade in quite some time. Does this mean that if Indiana wins it all, they would raise a banner for the in-season tournament?
As crazy as it may sound, Haliburton appears to be up for all the theatrics that come with the in-season tournament, something he joked that Los Angeles Lakers legend LeBron James may not agree with.
“I think at this point in my career, since I haven’t done anything yet, I’ll take a banner,” Haliburton said while laughing with reporters on Wednesday. “But I am sure LeBron [James] won’t answer the same way. It’s a good question, we’ll see what happens.”
LeBron and the Lakers took down the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, punching their ticket to Las Vegas on the opposite side of the bracket compared to the Pacers. There is a chance that these two teams could face off against one another in Saturday’s championship game.
At just 23 years old and in the midst of his fourth NBA season, Haliburton obviously wants to win this in-season tournament. Not only would it mean a lot to him as the young leader of the Pacers, but it would mean a lot to this franchise, one that many have looked down on through the years. In order to possibly play for the NBA Cup and even possibly face off against the Lakers, Haliburton and the Pacers will first need to get past the Bucks.
Raising a banner and winning the in-season tournament doesn’t seem to be head coach Rick Carlisle’s main focus right now. His philosophy all season long has not changed, which is why the Pacers are approaching the opportunity in front of them as if it is any other game.
“This is the first in-season tournament, the first NBA Cup. The level of interest has been phenomenally high,” Carlisle said. “We are coming in here with guns blazing. That’s how we have been approaching the entire season and that will not change.”
Haliburton and the Pacers are ready for the challenge ahead, as winning the very first in-season tournament is their only focus.
Originally posted on clutchpoints.com