Moving along with our ongoing top 25 player rankings we arrive at Tyrese Haliburton the dynamic Indiana Pacers guard. Haliburton is coming off a breakout season in which he made his first All-NBA team and second All-Star team. Let’s dive into Haliburton’s game and place in the top 25.
Top 25 NBA Players 2024-25: No. 20 – Tyrese Haliburton
An Elite Offensive Engine
Haliburton has the ideal combination of elite playmaking and shooting which makes him one of the NBA’s most prolific offensive engines. He is the league’s most gifted and complete passer with the key ability to elevate those around him. Crucially, Haliburton rarely makes mistakes he posted a 4.6 assist-to-turnover ratio which is among the league’s best. This is especially impressive considering he ranks within the top five for touches per game. Haliburton’s ability to control the game with his incredible passing is infinitely valuable and rare in today’s game. Additionally, Haliburton is one of the league’s best pull-up shooters. This skill set allows Haliburton to lead a high-powered offense and makes him a true offensive engine. Overall, Haliburton’s combination of playmaking, shooting, and size (6-foot-5), makes him the perfect modern point guard.
The Indiana Pacers have easily the best assist to turnover ratio in the playoffs. Led by their top 4 playmakers:
Haliburton: 85 AST—23 TOV
McConnell: 53 AST—12 TOV
Nembhard: 47 AST—10 TOV
Siakam: 35 AST—7 TOVThis team shares AND protects the rock better than anyone pic.twitter.com/O0nI1DhJVC
— NBA University (@NBA_University) May 13, 2024
Season Recap
Haliburton had one of the more interesting 2023-24 seasons. During the first half of the season, he looked like a legit top-10 player in the league averaging 23.6 points, 12.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds on 49.7/40.3/86.8 shooting splits. The Pacers also notably made a surprise run to the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament Championship game. However, after a hamstring injury, his play declined in the second half of the season. After his injury, Haliburton posted averages of 16.8 points, 9.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds on 45.5/32.4/84.3 shooting splits.
Nevertheless, Haliburton’s 10.9 assists on the season led the league and he was named to third-team All-NBA. Furthermore, Haliburton ranked fifth in pull-up three-pointers attempted per game with solid efficiency at 34.6 percent. Pre-injury, Hali shot a ridiculous 39.1 percent on pull-up threes. Notably, Haliburton also led the Pacers to the league’s second-best offense. However, before he went down with injury they were ranked first. Additionally, with Haliburton on the court, the Pacers’ offensive rating was a plus 6.6. In the playoffs, Haliburton posted averages of 18.7 points, 8.2 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. The sixth-seeded Pacers made a surprise run to the Conference Finals. However, Haliburton would go down with a hamstring injury, missing the final two games of the season.
Season Outlook
The Pacers are in an intriguing position. While much of the East improved Indiana stayed the same. As a result, they will be counting on internal improvements from players like Andrew Nembhard to remain competitive. Similarly, Haliburton will have to play at the superstar level he started last season as opposed to the fringe All-Star level he finished the season playing at. We will have to see if Haliburton’s poor finish was due to injury or if that’s closer to who is as a player. The biggest thing for Haliburton will be remaining aggressive. Haliburton is always an impactful playmaker but he can become passive if his shot is not falling. If Haliburton is consistently aggressive he could become a near 25-point-per-game scorer. Developing more of a two-man game with Pascal Siakam will also be a priority of Haliburton next season.
The Last Word
Haliburton’s past season makes him difficult to evaluate. He showed flashes of being a top-10-level player. However, his second half of the season combined subpar defense and at times passive offense holds him back. Regardless, at 24 Haliburton’s future is incredibly bright and he has the potential to continue rising the ranks of the NBA’s best.
