Myles Turner, Rik Smits, Jermaine O'Neal, Roy Hibbert, and Tyrese Haliburton — what kind of list is this? If we were racking our brains completing a hoop grid, we'd notice that's a list of five Indiana Pacers.
Not only have they all worn the mustard yellow unis, but they're king of blocks. Yes, Haliburton, known for his eye-popping assist-to-turnover ratio, is one of the premier shot-blocking point guards.
The former Iowa State guard showed respect and admiration for those big shot-blockers who came before him (and with him in Turner's case), but Haliburton let it be known that no one else in Indiana Pacers history does it better.
Tyrese Haliburton on recording 3 blocks in a game for the 3rd time this season:
— Alex Golden (@AlexGoldenNBA) April 11, 2025
“I appreciate that Alex, thank you for recognizing that…so it goes: Myles Turner, Rik Smits, Jermaine O’Neal, Roy Hibbert, Tyrese Haliburton. That’s how it’s gonna end when I’m done here…but in my… pic.twitter.com/5GH5Cfk2rl
Per PBP stats, Haliburton has more blocked threes than an alien in Victor Wembanyama this season. Wemby went down in the middle of February, but the fact remains that Hali is somebody scorers need to account for when launching from deep. As quiet as it's kept, this isn't a new development. Haliburton has ground to stand on in his belief that he's an elite shot blocker.
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Tyrese Haliburton's length causes problems
Haliburton is 5th in blocked 3-pointers this season with 11. He's behind defensive stalwarts like OG Anunoby, Peyton Watson, Draymond Green, and James Harden (?). The two guards here aren't known for being shot challengers, but they are getting it done.
Especially Haliburton, considering he was 2nd overall in blocked 3-pointers last year. At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan and a high IQ, Haliburton launches at shooters, constantly getting fingernail tips to cause the shot to come up short.
Tyrese Haliburton blocked the 2nd most 3pt attempts last year
— Brennan Sims (@SmokeSolezNBA) October 3, 2024
Here’s all 19 of his blocked 3-pointers #indianapacers pic.twitter.com/wowWNSoG0O
It goes beyond the 3-pointers. Among guards, Haliburton ranks in the 85th percentile in block percentage per Cleaning the Glass. He's never been under the 66th percentile in his career. This is what he does. Haliburton may not specialize in the chase-down department like LeBron James, but he's impacting shots in his own way and always has.
His shot blocking may go unnoticed because he's an average to below-average defender on the ball. But team defense is a bit more crucial than being a one-on-one clamper in today's space and pace era. Recovering to challenge a shot when a teammate inevitably gives up a drive has tremendous value. Hali is solid there as well.
The 19 points and nine assists with his efficiency is bonkers, but remember to throw in his ability to return the ball back to sever when analyzing his value as an overall player.