No, Tyrese Haliburton is not a superstar. That might sound like an insult, but it’s not. It’s a statement of fact, at least for now. It's also something that is likely to change.
Before we go any further, let’s get something out of the way. Saying a player is not a superstar does not mean that that player is overrated, or garbage, or anything negative. That non-superstar player can still be very, very good. As is the case with Haliburton.
But if “superstar” is the label reserved for the highest order, then to call Haliburton a superstar would be to put him on the same level of Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And even the most enthusiastic Haliburton supporters don’t seem to be doing that.
So, for a minute, let’s live in a world that isn’t so binary. Let’s enter the star spectrum, where awesome players can be allowed to just be who they are and flow into and around stardom until they drift away with time.
No, Haliburton isn't a "superstar." And that's OK!
It’s somewhere here, on the star spectrum, where Haliburton inhabits. He is, by virtue of leading these Pacers to the NBA Finals and hitting one of the most iconic Finals shots in recent memory, one of the league’s signature players. He wasn’t when these playoffs began. He is now. That’s the beauty of the star spectrum.
He’s also averaging 15.5 points and 6 assists in the Finals, whereas Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging *double checks* 36 points. That’s superstar production. Haliburton isn’t doing that.
Not now, and not for the playoffs. Among players who have appeared in at least 10 postseason games, Haliburton is 13th in points per game (18.4) and first in assists. That assist number is awesome, and he also leads all qualifying, non-Thunder players in plus-minus. Again, Haliburton is a STAR, but he’s not doing the same thing Gilgeous-Alexander is doing or what Jokic was doing, so he can’t be part of the same superstar club.
Not yet.
Heck, Gilgeous-Alexander just got here, and it took years of climbing up the ladder since getting drafted in 2018. When he was 25 (last season), I don’t think I would have considered him a superstar just yet. He signed his membership card this season en route to winning MVP.
Haliburton is 25. He was part of the 2020 draft class along with Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Maxey. He’s gotten further than anyone else in his class and has transformed the Pacers franchise. At his best, there’s nobody in the NBA who can do what he does in quite the same way.
There are still moments when you don’t notice him, like for stretches in Game 2 of the Finals. I’ve heard it: What else was Haliburton supposed to do against this Thunder defense? And I agree. For the record, I don’t think Haliburton played poorly. Certainly not as poorly as the stats – and box-score watchers – suggest.
But that’s not language associated with superstars. Superstars get things like “what can you do to stop him?” and “you’ll live with that,” like when Gilgeous-Alexander has 38 points and “only” three assists, like he did in Game 1.
There are no answers for superstars, only concessions. Right now, the Thunder have answers for Haliburton. Defenses also had answers for Shai and Jokic and Giannis – until they didn’t.
Haliburton is not a superstar, but nobody was even having that argument before these playoffs. Based on what we’ve seen over the last two months, we need to appreciate that he’s moving up the star spectrum, and he could get to the top.
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NBA news and rumors roundup
- The Mavericks officially denied the Knicks’ request to interview sitting head coach Jason Kidd. They have also been denied interviews for Minnesota’s Chris Finch and Houston’s Ime Udoka. Sooooo, plan D?
- Tyrese Haliburton shot down concerns over his health leading into Game 3 of the NBA Finals, telling reporters after Tuesday’s practice that he was dealing with "a lower leg thing" but that he felt fine and “will be ready to go for Game 3."