Life looked good for Tyrese Haliburton last season when he powered the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals. His summer wasn’t too bad either, as he returned from Paris with a gold medal around his neck. But with the new season tipped off, things are looking bleak for the ever-smiling Pacer.

Hali can be excused for his first game against the Pistons, where he framed Steph Curry and his pre-game ‘nap ritual’ for his shooting struggles. But what about the following game against the Knicks? He not only accepted a loss but also returned home without a point.

Things got worse when the Pacers lost their latest game against the Sixers. A Philly side that played without two of their biggest star players. Despite their upsetting start to the season, ‘Haliburton has no hunger for a comeback’– a discussion that occupied the hosts of ‘Run It Back’ on their recent episode.

“Where is your frustration, though?” Lou Williams asked.

Comparing the situation with that of Jayson Tatum, the ex-Clipper said, “Like, we’re talking about Jayson Tatum and how he took the Olympics personally, and he didn’t play. They didn’t find any minutes for Tyrese Haliburton in the Olympics. So his attitude, it felt like he was happy to be there.” While Lou appreciates the significance of being part of the Olympic team, an opportunity he never had, the analyst believes the combo guard should demonstrate his passion and ‘prove his worth’, much like the Celtics forward.

Sitting on the bench throughout the USA vs. Serbia games, Jayson Tatum absorbed Steve Kerr’s apparent, undisclosed issue with him and planned a comeback. When the right moment arrived, the hooper proved his worth in Boston colors. 37, 25, 37, that’s what JT’s points look like in the Celtics’ games. Something similar was expected from Haliburton, who couldn’t show his truest value in Paris.

However, the Pacers leader seems to lack the aggression needed to pull off a JT show or even a comeback. “I want to see him be more aggressive and a little bit more pissed off at the early start because this thing can snowball in the wrong direction,” Lou Williams admitted. So it was time to set the bar high for the Indiana guard to give him extra motivation, and the 38-year-old did just that.

Lou Williams fears ‘complacency’ in a worst-case scenario for Tyrese Haliburton, sets ‘domination’ goal

Lou Williams knows that being an Olympian brings a sense of happiness and also gives recognition as “one of the top guys” in the league. However, he believes that upon returning to Indiana, Haliburton should focus on proving his worth, especially because he carries the All-Star tag. The former hooper said that he wants Tyrese to bring back the “real attention” to the Pacers.

Breaking down Hali’s possible mental state, Lou said, “Sometimes when you get to a certain level of praise, you can get full off of it. You can get content with just being in the conversation.”

Letting his desire known, he continued, “NO, I want you to dominate the conversation. I want you to be a top and I want you to earn the respect of everybody.”

Lou said, “Sometimes, when you receive a certain level of praise, you can become complacent. You might get content with just being part of the conversation.” He also stated that the only thing he wanted from Tyrese Haliburton this season is, “I wanna see him be more assertive, more aggressive.”

Tyrese Haliburton needs to work on his shooting skills (31.8% from the field and 20% from behind the arc this season) if the hooper wants to live up to Lou Williams’ expectations and carry the team forward. Despite the early miseries with 15, 0, and 22 points to his name, if the star Pacer succeeds in making a mark, then he will certainly garner even more “respect” that Lou Williams spoke about.