The Indiana Pacers is one of the teams generating a buzz around the NBA of late. Rick Carlisle has taught his boys a modern brand of basketball, and they’re very entertaining to watch. Furthermore, the team is composed of young players who are very fun and fascinating.
They’re at position 4 in the Eastern Conference and have won 12 games this season. And with the kind of basketball they’re playing, the Pacers are slowly but surely working on becoming a playoff team.
Though we’re still early into the season, anything is possible. Remember, they didn’t make it to the playoffs last season, and we can’t rule out that possibility even this time round. But whatever the outcome, the Pacers will still be proud of Tyrese Haliburton.
Tyrese, who played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones, is the leading scorer on the Pacers roster. But not just that. One of the main things that define a good point guard is the ability to control the ball without allowing many turnovers. And according to stats, Tyrese Haliburton seems to have mastered that art so well.
Tyrese is out ahead of the pack
During the last three seasons, Tyrese, who was selected number 12 overall in the 2020 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings, has had three games where he offered at least 15 assists without allowing any turnovers. His record is 17 assists with 0 turnovers, which he registered in April this year. This record is actually the only one in about five years.
Overall, Chris Paul, Rickey Green, John Lucas, and Kevin Porter lead the NBA with 20 assists with zero turnovers.
Having played 21 games in the 2022/2023 season, the Indiana Pacers guard has averaged 11.2 assists putting him ahead of any other player in the league. He is far ahead of his closest competitor, Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young who has 9.6 assists.
Unlike other playmakers in the league who are injury-prone, Tyrese Haliburton has always been cautious and plays a very safe game, yet he still has a good record.
He recently became the first player to have registered 40+ assists in three consecutive games without a turnover since the NBA started tracking turnovers in the 1977-1978 season.
Most games with 15+ assists on 0 turnovers in the last 5 seasons:
3 — Tyrese Haliburton
3 — Rest of NBA combined pic.twitter.com/WrAsyOW1Ic— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 26, 2022
Tyrese Haliburton has Blossomed into a star in his third year
Listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 185 pounds, Tyrese is only a few years old in the NBA, yet he has already blossomed into a star. He was traded to the Indiana Pacers in the middle of last season from the Sacramento Kings and is currently one of the best scorers in the NBA, leading the Pacers in points.
He’s also shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three-point range. The Indiana Pacers had earlier been thought to be one of the teams that would give a run for Victor Wembanyama. But with Tyrese Haliburton and former Arizona Wildcats shooting guard Benedict Mathurin leading the way, the management will have to reconsider their choices.
With a splendid performance against the Los Angeles Lakers, Tyrese is already scaring the NBA.
After winning against the LA Lakers, he went to Twitter and left a short message:
I like us.
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) November 29, 2022
It was a simple tweet, though it points to the fact that Tyrese is impressed with the Indiana Pacers, and he’s happy with how the team has helped shape his career. Remember, the Pacers entered the season without any hope from the media and even fans, yet they’re now one of the teams that are likely to make the NBA playoffs.
How long can he keep the fire burning
Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers have lost only three of their last ten games. Their last game was against his former team, the Sacramento Kings, in which they lost 137-114. He played 109 games for the California team and averaged 13.6 points, far less than the 19.3 he has had this season.
And if there’s any decision the Kings regret most, it is trading Tyrese to the Pacers. So this was a crucial game for him, but unfortunately, the Kings overpowered them. Nevertheless, he dropped nine points and four rebounds and gave ten assists after playing for 25 minutes.
Tyrese is still young. At 22 years, he still has a long way to go, and we’re yet to see whether he will continue with his excellent performance throughout the season and even in years to come. But this will depend on his team and his level of dedication as a player.
At this point, though, the Pacers should find a way of naturing him and protecting him from internal competition. He also plays a very safe game and is unlikely to be a burden for them. All in all, time shall tell.
in March 2020, five-year-old Palmer was devastated to learn his favorite @CycloneMBB player Tyrese Haliburton was declaring for the NBA Draft.
tonight, Palmer and his family got to meet @TyHaliburton22 and watch him play an @NBA game.💙 pic.twitter.com/z4XpgDZlGe
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) November 24, 2022
Credits on Featured Image: OSU Athletics, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
