Tyrese Haliburton returns to an Indiana offense with a different way to create room for him. With Ivica Zubac at center, the Pacers can use screens and movement toward the basket to occupy defenders, replacing some of the space Myles Turner created by stepping outside to shoot.
At September 28 media day, Haliburton said he was fully healthy and expected no restrictions after missing the entire 2025-26 season following his right Achilles tear. His stated readiness does not establish how quickly this new partnership will work against NBA defenses. USA TODAY’s media-day report
How Zubac can create space without stepping outside
Haliburton identified the adjustment in August: his previous center stretched the floor, while Zubac offered a different level of screening and rolling. He expected a transition period and wanted repeated five-on-five work together. Alex Golden’s reporting for Pacers On SI
After screening for the ball-handler, a shooting center can move behind the three-point line and make his defender choose between following him and protecting the basket. A rolling center creates the choice closer to the rim.
Consider a hypothetical Haliburton–Zubac pick-and-roll. If the screen leaves Haliburton’s defender trailing, the opposing center must account for Haliburton advancing with the ball and Zubac moving toward the basket. Stepping toward Haliburton can open a pass inside. Staying deep can leave Haliburton room to shoot. A wing defender helping on Zubac can leave a teammate open outside.
Those are possible reads, not a documented Pacers possession or a guarantee of an open shot. The screen must create separation, and the pass must arrive before the defense recovers.
Indiana has little game evidence for the new combination
Zubac played only 118 minutes for Indiana last season, none with Haliburton or Pascal Siakam. That makes last season a poor basis for judging how the three fit together. John Schuhmann’s NBA.com analysis
Zubac must also adjust to Indiana’s movement beyond his partnership with Haliburton. Schuhmann notes that Indiana has consistently ranked near the league’s top in ball and player movement, while Zubac’s former Clippers teams ranked in the bottom three in both over the past three seasons.
That movement must continue when the first screen produces nothing. One possibility is for Zubac to move into another screen or help move the ball to another attacker, keeping the defense occupied rather than allowing it to reset. The timing of those decisions matters as much as the initial roll.
Zubac said Monday that their limited court time together had already felt natural. That is encouraging early feedback, with competitive evidence still to come. Associated Press
The other three players still shape the spacing
A successful screen does not remove every help defender. If an opponent can leave a perimeter teammate unattended, that defender can crowd Zubac’s route while the center stays closer to Haliburton. Indiana’s surrounding players must respond with shooting, cutting or a quick next pass.
Indiana can build an effective offense around Zubac freeing Haliburton and becoming an immediate target inside. Its spacing will depend on coordinated movement and decisions as well as the positions players occupy.