Each day moves slowly for Tyrese Haliburton. Recovering from a devastating ACL tear, the Pacers’ cornerstone has progressed well. Now, 8 months into rehab, Hali has managed to lace up the sneakers to get some work on the court. However, he got a strong indication that his body is asking for patience, despite his restlessness to play again.

The Pacers All-Star felt he could step on an NBA court again after playing against some of Indiana’s coaching staff. The next day, teammate Bennedict Mathurin, who was recovering from an injury, quickly dragged Hali back to reality when they played a scrimmage.

“The other day, we had like the low-minute guys come and play with us… So, I’m guarding Ben. First play, he comes down, he shoots a three.  And they’re like, “Go at him.” And he’s like, “Ah, his leg.” And I’m like, “Hey, bro. Like, I’m fine.” Like, attack me like normal. I got to see where I’m at. Hezied me one time. He was at the rim. I was still at three-point line. I’m like, “I still got some time, you know? Like I still there’s still I got to give myself some grace,” Haliburton told LeBron James on Mind the Game.

That must have been discouraging. But it’s also impressive to see Tyrese Haliburton’s progress in just eight months. He’s already doing activity on the court, and getting close to playing at game speed. Understandably, he’s still far from being back on the court. The Pacers have listed him out for the season. The team might be struggling, but forcing the visionary point guard could lead to improper healing.

Speaking about the process itself, Haliburton isn’t enjoying it entirely. The Pacers guard feels good, but finds himself questioning why it had to happen to him. The sorrow has led to stress eating. But it’s not all bad. Tyrese Haliburton has spent his time on the sidelines wisely.

“I understand that it’s allowing me to grow in different ways, to grow in my faith, to grow in all these different ways that have been good for me,” he added. But most importantly, Haliburton has been observing.

Tyrese Haliburton is keen on adding one skill on his return

Usually, when Haliburton approached a matchup, he thought about ways of stopping his cover. But this season, he is hunting for learning opportunities. In his talks with LeBron James, he highlighted Payton Pritchard and Austin Reaves’ ability to get free throws as an area he is looking to master.

“Payton’s one of the guys I watch. I see the way he can get to a guy’s chest at the rim. I think AR is like the perfect example. The way that he is so physical and can get to the free throw line,” Haliburton said.

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He and Reaves spent time playing at the FIBA World Cup. Despite being the starting point guard, he marveled at how often AR could get to the line in comparison to him. When he asked, the Lakers guard honestly told Haliburton, “I don’t think you’re doing a good job of getting a guy’s bodies”. It didn’t make sense for years until he had the time to sit back and actually observe Reaves and Pritchard driving into the defender’s chest.

He’s now conscious, watching closely, and taking part in players’ games he would want to see in himself. Haliburton is currently 210 pounds, up from 180. Although that’s not where he wants to be, Tyrese Haliburton could look to enter the season with more weight in order to improve his game at the rim.

Rehab isn’t fun. But the Pacers guard still sees himself in the lab, arming himself with skills to return better than he was before. With that mindset, and the high possibility of the Pacers getting a lottery pick, it’s not outrageous to expect another fairytale run from Indiana in the coming future.