One of the highlights of the NBA’s new in-season tournament has been the emergence of Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has taken his game to new heights under the bright glare of the national spotlight. After defeating the favored Celtics in the quarterfinals on Monday, Indiana dispatched the Bucks — another Eastern contender — in the semifinals on Thursday to earn a spot in Saturday’s final, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
“Tyrese is just one of those transcendent players that with him on the court, anything is possible,” head coach Rick Carlisle said.
Haliburton’s impact on the franchise has been “rejuvenating,” according to Myles Turner, who was dissatisfied with his role in Indiana prior to the six-player February 2022 trade that sent Domantas Sabonis to Kings and Haliburton to the Pacers. Nearly two years later, Turner says that blockbuster deal with Sacramento was a win-win for the two franchises, though he gives the edge to Indiana, per Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“I think we won the trade personally, but I’m biased of course,” Turner told Amick. “I think it was mutually beneficial. (Kings guard De’Aaron) Fox got something that he needed, and I got the point guard that I needed.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Trading for Haliburton in February 2022 convinced Indiana to cater to his strengths by playing at an extremely fast pace, per Wes Goldberg of RealGM. “Coach allows my personality and who I am as a player to flow into our offense,” Haliburton said. “We lead the league in assists and that starts with me, but I think it’s everybody sharing the ball and wanting to see others succeed.” The Pacers currently have the top offense in the league, Goldberg notes.
- Haliburton hopes to emulate Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose presence in Milwaukee put the Bucks in a better position to attract stars to a non-marquee market, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Thursday’s broadcast (Twitter video link). “As Haliburton said to me, ‘I’m going to get you shots, I’m going to make life easy for you, and we are going to win,'” Wojnarowski said. “And that is really Haliburton’s mission right now, is to use this tournament – use this season – to start making the case to star players around the league, ‘Come play with me in Indiana.'”
- According to Wojnarowski, Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has shown interest in players like Raptors forwards Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby within the last year. Indiana has the NBA’s lowest payroll this season, with plenty of moveable draft assets, and could have maximum-salary cap room in 2024, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), so roster upgrades are possible. Still, one Pacers staffer who spoke to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports wondered if “this experiment is too fresh and too positive to mess with its current chemistry,” Fischer writes.
- Jalen Smith, who has been battling a left knee bone bruise, will remain sidelined through Saturday’s final, Dopirak tweets. Carlisle said Smith has been limited to light running to this point. The 23-year-old backup center is having a strong season, averaging 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 70.7% from the field through 14 games (15.4 MPG), and he could hit free agency in 2024 if he declines his $5.4MM player option for next season.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
I would take Haliburton over Sabonis any day. Haliburton is a much better player on defense than Sabonis.
It was a good trade and both teams got what they needed as both players have opened their up their teams offenses but they both suck at defense.
Another masterful game from Haliburton. 15 ast 0 TOs, wow!
Genuinely feel that, outside of LeBron, Haliburton is the closest we’ve gotten to Magic Johnson. Just makes everything look so easy. Not going to be the rebounder Magic was, or versatile defender he was in his early years, but dang.
No love for Jokic? He’s got the playmaking and scoring along with the rebounding chops. He’s also an underrated defender though not as versatile like Magic.
Jokic is his own entry in the lore of basketball greatness, imo. No Center in history has ever come close to what he can do. Comparing him to an earlier player isn’t fair, because they largely lack large parts of his game, or just straight don’t measure up.
As far as the Magic comparison goes, Jokic is more of a half-court player. Magic was crazy fast and you had to pick him up for sixty feet to even try to guard him. He’s one of only two players to lead his team to a championship while averaging ten+ assists per game in the regular season too, and LeBron is the only other one (2020 Lakers). Nobody else has ever done it. Jokic might, eventually, but his game is his own. He’s not a lot like Magic outside of the handles.
I get what you’re saying. I was just thinking playmaking in general. I would honestly say along with LeBron that they were the best 3 I’ve ever seen as far as court vision and smart passing.
Jokic was a whole 0.2 assists off of 10 per last season and I think part of that was because he doesn’t care about stats and didn’t want the attention on him averaging a triple double per game, he had bigger things in mind.
Completely fair. Jokic is a joy to watch, I just never really compared him to Magic much because I don’t think of the other when I see one of them. All three of those guys are just built different.
With Haliburton, it was more the way you have to defend him, the effortless offensive production in every area, and the way that he sometimes seems to make the whole opposing team dance on the end of a string that reminds me of Magic.
As far as lore of basketball greatness goes, I’ll pick Arvydas Sabonis in his pre-NBA prime over Nikola Jokic any day. Prior to to his Achilles injury, Sabonis was a living, breathing triple double most nights and mobile enough at 7’3” to defend anyone on the floor. Even after the injury and age robbed him of much of his mobility, Sabonis as an NBA talent for Portland was one of the best passing big men in the history of the league.
I loved to watch old man Sabonis play but neither before or post Achilles’s injury was he a walking triple double, in fact he never got one triple double in his entire career in the NBA or in international play. He made some neat passes but in his best season he averages 3APG.
Kings kept the wrong pg choosing Fox over Haliburton.
Fox and Haliburton have different strengths but each has thrived since the trade.
Kc, no one on the face of the planet would have said that two weeks ago. But now Tyrese Halliburton is the latest shiny thing, and I’ll say with good reason. He’s playing great.
But I’d take DeAaron Fox any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
You do realize that Fox is a legit MVP candidate this season, right? Not a favorite or anything, but he’s played so well. That’s such a weird take. Fox is crazy good.
What makes you think it was SAC’s choice? Fox was underperforming in the first year of a 5 year max extension. Certainly, they could have traded Fox, but NOT to IND for Sabonis, or anywhere for close to equivalent value. Haliburton in the 2nd year of a RSC was, even flattening out from his rookie year, a vastly better asset at that point.
Haliburton is responsible for over 50ppg while Fox is responsible for 42ppg. Both are amazing this year, but Haliburton is the better pg this season. Kings should’ve tried to add Sabonis and keep Haliburton with Fox. I also think Fox has a better team around him so Haliburton’s stats are even more impressive.
Yes kc, not hating on Haliburton at all. Beautiful to see a young player kill it like he has.
Pascal in Indy would be awesome. They could do with his defence, experience and leadership.
Tyrese Bruce Pascal Myles that’s very nice
I’d question if they have the assets tho, Heild, Toppin, Nembhart and a first?
Nemby would be cool returning back to Canada and backing up Schroder and developing next to Scottie and OG. Heild adds another shooter for floor spacing and then a pick on top of that…
Indy still has McConnell as a back up guard, although Pascal does kinda block Walkers pathway to ever starting