Tyrese Haliburton returns after 16-month layoff — Central Division roundup

The Central Division’s news cycle was driven by a long-awaited comeback for Tyrese Haliburton, while Cleveland took an early loss and Chicago got its first real look at a new franchise building block.

Haliburton’s encouraging comeback for the Pacers

Jamal Collier of ESPN reports that Tyrese Haliburton returned to the floor in the Indiana Pacers’ preseason opener on Wednesday, nearly 16 months after his last NBA game following an Achilles tear. According to ESPN, getting back up to game speed wasn’t a concern for the point guard in that first outing, an encouraging sign for an Indiana team that already sits at 1-0 in the Central Division standings.

Cavaliers: early loss in Boston and a swing-player bet

The Cleveland Cavaliers opened their season with a 124-113 defeat against the Boston Celtics, dropping them to 0-1 in the Central. Beyond the box score, Hoops Rumors relays John Hollinger’s piece for The Athletic identifying 10 under-the-radar players who could swing their teams’ seasons, a group that includes Cavaliers wing Peyton Watson. Cleveland thus finds itself at an early crossroads: responding quickly to an opening loss while monitoring whether a lesser-hyped piece like Watson can meaningfully impact the rotation.

Bulls: uneven debut for rookie Caleb Wilson

In Chicago, the focus is on rookie forward Caleb Wilson, the fourth pick in June’s draft. As detailed by Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune and cited by Hoops Rumors, Wilson scored a team-high 15 points in his preseason debut against Phoenix, a seven-point Bulls win. His overall performance, however, was described as erratic, with stretches of promise offset by rougher moments and a 6-for-15 shooting line from the field. The Bulls, who stand at 1-0 in the Central but were idle yesterday, are already getting a sense of both the upside and the volatility that can come with handing responsibility to a young scorer.

For the Detroit Pistons (1-0) and Milwaukee Bucks (1-1), it was a quiet day, with no major new storylines emerging. Whether they can join Indiana and Chicago in pushing toward the top of the division, or end up chasing a regrouping Cavaliers squad, will be shaped by what happens over the next few weeks.