Talk about creeping on a come up. Tyrese Haliburton has done his best Bone Thugs n Harmony impersonation during this yearās NBA playoffs. His efforts have landed the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000. Ever since Hali was voted the most overrated player in the Association by his peers, the former No. 12 overall pick (2020 NBA Draft) has been on tear shredding through Eastern Conference foes. Haliburton flipped the script on everybody who doubted him to the point where āThe Ringerā had to rank him No. 7 in their latest list of the top 100 NBA players, right now.
Players in the NBA might not like Haliburtonās game (nor his fatherās antics) but theyāve had a tough time stopping him during this Pacers run to the Finals. Even more than that, everyone should respect his game and leadership on the floor regardless of how the NBA Finals go against Oklahoma City. The dramatic leap Hali has taken in such a short time is nothing short of phenomenal.
Tyrese Haliburton is now ranked above LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama
āSo, since we last caught up, Haliburton has ascended to a higher plane of existence. He is cementing himself as one of the great modern postseason performers with clutch play after clutch playāheās the beating heart of a high-octane offense (and defense!) that has run its way into the Finals. As essential as his pull-up shooting, off-ball cuts, and instantaneous decision-making have been to the Pacersā charmed run, itās been a pleasant surprise seeing Haliburtonās defensive acuity resurface after years of lying dormant. Haliās made use of this extended run to show the league just how well-rounded a player heās become. And thatās a player deserving of top 10 status.ā
Haliburton may not average the most points or shoot the highest percentage, but heās proven to have that āitā factor, coming through in times when the Pacers have needed him the most. At this point, anyone who attempts to downplay what heās done during this postseason run is just hating. Itās okay not to like Haliburtonās game or his own personal swag, but what canāt be denied is the fact that heās a baller and has shown up thus far on the NBAās biggest stages.