NBA Awards Rankings: New No. 1 in Most Improved Player race

Tyrese Haliburton has made the leap.

He's a superstar. There's no way around it. The Indiana Pacers have to figure out the defense eventually — it's a serious limiting factor when projecting toward the postseason — but Haliburton is the engine behind the NBA's best offense through three weeks, and there's no reason to believe that pace will let up.

Haliburton has come a long way since draft night when he was billed as a smart connective passer and spot-up shooter who couldn't self-create enough to reach the highest level of stardom. Well, now he's a legitimate iso threat, roasting defenders with subtle changes in speed and direction off the dribble and developing a potent pull-up game. He can bomb 3s all day, he's a master of the pick-and-roll, and he's one of the NBA's most exciting transition initiators.

At this point, the Pacers' point guard deserves MVP consideration. He could continue to make headway in this particular race based on just how high he's climbing in the NBA power hierarchy. At some point, we're going to have to have the 'Tyrese Haliburton, top 10 player' conversation. He's the best lead guard in the East, and depending on how you classify Stephen Curry or Luka Doncic, he might be No. 1, period, at his position.

The only reason Haliburton slots in at No. 4 here, for now, is that he was already approaching this level last season. The Pacers needed to put a few extra pieces together, and there's no denying the individual leap Haliburton has made — 24.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 12.5 assists on .528/.436/.932 splits — but he had a considerable head start. But, no matter how you slice it, there isn't a single player matching Haliburton's blend of shooting efficiency, playmaking creativity, and ball control right now.