Tyrese Haliburton led the NBA in assists last season with 10.9 per game, while he also averaged 20.1 points and 1.2 steals.

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We're counting down 24 key storylines for the 2024-25 NBA season. Our senior analysts will analyze a new topic each day as we help you prepare for opening night on October 22nd.

Here's the plot No. 14:

Here's why Tyrese Haliburton is set to become a huge star.

He will stay healthy. This is the next frontier for Haliburton, who already became an All-NBA selection last season and earned his second All-Star appearance.

The slender, 6-foot-3 point guard rose to the challenge of turning his game into team success last season, helping the Pacers improve by 12 wins and reach a surprise appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, he also missed 13 games due to injury and then got injured again in the playoffs, forcing him to sit out the final two games of Boston's winning streak. There were even rumors that his limited playing time and DNPs with Team USA in Paris were related to nicks and complaints.

At just 185 pounds, Haliburton is often powerful against more physical opponents. He is the focal point of most opponents' game plans and attracts the most aggressive defenders, which can take its toll.

So that was the 24-year-old's focus when the Olympics ended: getting in the weight room and working with the Pacers team to build himself up. Coach Rick Carlisle told NBA.com in early September: “He worked hard on his body this summer. We are getting stronger and hopefully more durable.”

There are other reasons why the Haliburton curve is trending upward. His command of the game and his understanding of situations and teammates improve with repetition and with the commendable continuity on the Pacers roster. Pascal Siakam will be on board from the jump and Bennedict Mathurin will be back. The team is one of the league's best performing teams and feisty backup TJ McConnell can give Haliburton even more minutes off the ball this season.

How's that for an intangible that could bring further improvement to Haliburton?: He's arguably no longer the best pro player in his market. That status could belong to Caitlin Clark, the WNBA Fever's newly-crowned Kia Rookie of the Year.

Haliburton and Clark are friends and he is a big supporter of the Fever. But remember, as the saying goes: steel sharpens steel. Having two of the best in the same field camp could be beneficial for everyone involved.

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Steve Aschburner has been writing about the NBA since 1980. You can email him here his archive here And Follow him on X.

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