The Whiteboard: Tyrese Haliburton is just fine
By Lior Lampert
Tyrese Haliburton hasn't been the same since suffering a left hamstring strain on Jan. 9 against the Boston Celtics last season. However, over his and the Indiana Pacers' past 10 games, we're quickly reminded that the standout point guard is who we thought he was.
Haliburton's averaging 22.1 points, 8.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest with dazzling .500/.412/.871 shooting splits during this recent hot stretch. He's made four of his 9.7 nightly three-point attempts and is suddenly pacing for a career-best campaign from beyond the arc. It hasn't directly translated to winning (Indiana's gone 5-5), but the 24-year-old has a +3.5 plus/minus. For context, his valuation was -4 through the first 17 games.
Moreover, Haliburton's offensive, defensive and net ratings have notably improved across this span. Here's how the season-long numbers stack up to this reduced sample size:
Overall | Nov. 25, 2024-Dec. 15, 2024 |
---|---|
112.8 ORtg | 116.2 ORtg |
115.8 DRtg | 113.0 DRtg |
-3.0 NRtg | 3.2 NRtg |
As Haliburton gets further removed from the soft tissue issue, he's regaining his All-NBA-caliber floor general form. Plus, his confidence and swagger are ostensibly back. The Pacers star has typically been a rhythm player and is slowly (but surely) finding that groove again. Indiana should start soaring up the East standings if the momentum continues.
Let's not forget that a hobbled Haliburton led this Pacers squad to the East Conference Finals last season. We know the ceiling he possesses as a one-man offensive engine who can light it up from downtown and is arguably the NBA's best facilitator. His 10.9 dimes per game led the league in 2023-24, and Indiana was a historically good scoring unit.
Moreover, Haliburton is executing at a high level and operating as a more aggressive scorer. He's been knocked for not doing the latter, though the message appears to have been received. The fifth-year veteran has attempted 23 shots twice during this 10-game interval, which he did zero times in the first 17 matches. His willingness to fire away opens up everything for him and Indiana's offense.
Sitting at 12-15 and eighth in the conference, it wouldn't be shocking to see Indiana slide into the top six in due time. If the Miami Heat trade stud wing Jimmy Butler and the Atlanta Hawks regress after an impressive start to the year, that's two passable teams. The Orlando Magic are also without their two franchise forwards, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, for the foreseeable future. Overall, the stars are aligning for Haliburton and the Pacers.
Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like it, share it with an enemy.
NBA news roundup:
- The NBA and NBPA officially revealed a brand new format for the 2025 All-Star Game, and everyone hates it -- especially Kevin Durant. Nonetheless, the irony is that this could've been avoided if the 14-time representative and his peers put more effort into the glorified exhibition.
- Per The Athletic's Jovan Buha, the Los Angeles Lakers view Rui Hachimura as a "longer-term piece." So, the sixth-year forward is the "least likely" of the team's movable salaries to get re-routed ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
- Joel Embiid will be re-evaluated in "approximately one week" after suffering a right sinus fracture, the Philadelphia 76ers announced on Dec. 16. The former MVP can't catch a break as the club's season from hell continues.
Thunder-Bucks NBA Cup Final predictions
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks are set to face off in the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Final. It's an intriguing matchup for various reasons, but chief among them is the age disparity between the interconference foes.
Milwaukee boasts the oldest roster in the Association (29.9 average age), while Oklahoma City is tied for the third-youngest (24.5). Meanwhile, the Thunder are a defensive juggernaut, while the Bucks rely more on outscoring their opponents. The clashing styles of play in the battle of youth versus the elder statesmen of the league will be fun to watch.
Nevertheless, the Bucks and Thunder are led by transcendent superstars -- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City). How each head coach intends to slow the other down in this high-stakes battle will likely be the determining factor.
With that in mind, the Thunder have the edge in this one. They have more bodies to throw at Antetokounmpo, while the Bucks have virtually no one who can stay in front of Gilgeous-Alexander. Jalen Williams, Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein and Kenrich Williams can take turns trying to stop "The Greek Freak." Meanwhile, no one in Milwaukee's backcourt can stick with SGA.
Oklahoma City is a considerable betting favorite in the in-season title duel with the Bucks, and reasonably so. They've been one of (if not) the best teams in basketball dating back to last season and are showing no signs of slowing down. The Thunder will show everyone why they're a top-tier championship contender under the national spotlight of the NBA Cup.