Will The Indiana Pacers Have Any All-Stars In 2023?

NBA All-Star voting for 2023 All-Stars opened earlier this week, and the Indiana Pacers will have a player or two in the mix to be named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team.

Last season was the first year since 2015 that Indiana didn’t have an All-Star. In the last decade, the team has had ten All-Star selections, including Paul George, Roy Hibbert, Victor Oladipo, and Domantas Sabonis.

This year, the best player that the team acquired when they traded Sabonis away in February — Tyrese Haliburton — has the best case of any Pacer to be named an All-Star. He isn’t the only player who is worth mentioning in the conversation, but he is the most likely member of the blue and gold to make it.

Haliburton’s case is simple — his offensive impact is enormous. Only two players in the league have tossed more than 250 assists this season, and Haliburton is one of them, he has dished out a league-leading 310. He’s also 37th in points scored, few players create more points than the 22-year old this season.

He makes the Pacers hum. When he’s on the court, Indiana’s offense is nearly six points per 100 possessions better than when he is on the bench, per pbpstats. His defensive impact is nearly equal in the negative direction, but that’s understandable given his offensive load. The team’s entire identity is based around Haliburton’s ability to push the ball in transition and make plays, and without him, the team would be stuck in the mud.

“He’s a very special player,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Haliburton. “I certainly believe that there are a lot of All-Star berths in Tyrese’s future. He’s an amazing young player, getting better all the time. Wants the responsibility of being the franchise cornerstone,” he added.

The trouble with being an All-Star in the Eastern Conference this year is that it’s a loaded conference. Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, and Donovan Mitchell are locks. Jaylen Brown, Trae Young, Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Pascal Siakam, James Harden, Jrue Holiday, Jalen Brunson, and even a few others could be in the mix. That’s well over the 12 players who will make the Eastern Conference All-Star team, so Haliburton will need to continue to play well in the coming months to solidify his case.

Haliburton’s candidacy is just as strong as several of those guys. He is the only player in the league averaging a points-assists double-double, and during the 2021-22 season, all six players who averaged more than 8.5 assists per game were All-Stars. Haliburton is well above that number, and his scoring is much improved. He will have to maintain those numbers if he wants to remain in the driver’s seat for an All-Star appearance, but he has the skill to do it.

Myles Turner is on the outside of the All-Star conversation, but if he has a strong run of form from now until voting finishes, he could find himself in the mix.

Basketball Reference’s Box Plus-Minus stat ranks Turner as the 25th most impactful player in the Eastern Conference, and he has once again been one of the best defenders in the NBA this year. He has become known for his defense throughout his career.

The difference this season is that his offense has taken a step forward. The big man is posting career high numbers in points per game (16.9) rebounds per game (7.8) and many shooting percentage stats. He is being used more on the interior this season than ever before, and he is making defenses pay.

Turner wouldn’t, and shouldn’t, be an All-Star if voting ended today. He had a ten-game stretch from November 4 to November 25 in which he averaged 20.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while Indiana went 8-2. Another burst of games at that level would get Turner into the All-Star conversation, though it is very unlikely he is named to the Eastern Conference team.

Buddy Hield and Bennedict Mathurin are both having solid seasons for the blue and gold, but neither will be in the All-Star mix. Haliburton has the best chance of any Pacer by far, and the Pacers record as the season progresses will go a long way toward influencing his placement on the All-Star team. Turner needs a great run of play and some wins to even have a chance.

Mathurin, fellow rookie Andrew Nembhard, and second-year wing Chris Duarte could be in the mix to be involved in the Rising Stars game. Hield may be a candidate for the three-point shooting contest. Players for those events are selected by the NBA.

In terms of being named an actual All-Star, though, Tyrese Haliburton is the Indiana Pacers best chance. There are many candidates, so strong play from the young guard and the rest of the Pacers may be needed to make his selection a no-doubt choice. Should he make it, Haliburton would be the youngest Pacers All-Star since Paul George in 2012. Like Carlisle said, there could be many All-Star apearances in his future.