“I surely can accomplish that” Tyrese Haliburton signifies confidence in himself being an All-Stat next season
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Tyrese Haliburton of Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton rose to the star level in very little time. The 22-year-old guard played just 2 seasons in the league, but his impact on the franchise’s results drew lots of attention. Drafted by Sacramento Kings in 2020, he was traded to the Pacers after just 1 season. But when the Indiana Pacers acquired Tyrese Haliburton in the mid-2022 season, it quickly became clear that they’d found their next franchise player. The responsibility was clearly high for the youngster, but with his skill set, he has the potential to be the face of the franchise. Still, when Wisconsin-kid hears “face of the franchise” — he starts laughing at the idea, as of now.
While talking with the Basketball News, Haliburton reflects on his trade, current status, and future plans. But to start off with being the Face of the franchise he said, “That’s so funny. It’s so funny just hearing you say that, The way I look at it, that’s not for me to decide. I guess that’s more for fans and media to decide who that is, and if people say it’s me, I guess I understand.”
Anyone can understand the mix of emotions and sense of responsibility going through his mind dealing with the new label at this early age. But the Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan has no doubts over their investment in Haliburton and looks at him as the team’s centerpiece going forward. He even expected Tyrese to rise to the Reggie Miller level with the Pacers.
Tyrese Haliburton is looking to be the leader of the Indiana Pacers franchise.
It takes a lot to be a leader of a group of people. Firstly you need to gain respect from your peers, to be able to lead them to the destination, and to do that you have to be the best at your position every time. Tyrese Haliburton plays at the point guard position, which gives him a slight advantage as he is the one calling shots and running the offense for the team, but with talent around him, the youngster needs to uplift his game.
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When he was traded by the Pacers, Haliburton was promised by the franchise front office to be the “main man” in the team. That of course pleased Tyrese and helped him change his loyalties. But he isn’t taking this opportunity for granted. He admits that he has dreamed of being a team’s focal point since his childhood.
Talking about teenager Tyrese’s dream, the star guard said, “As a kid, I would’ve f****n’ killed for this, so it’s fun to be a part of. And at the end of the day, it’s just basketball. And the things in life that come with it, I’m just gonna be who I am and share my values on certain things… I just take it naturally and have fun with it. It’s a great opportunity for me.”
But he is doing everything he can to live up to the expectations. A natural point guard who loved being a facilitator has seen a great jump in his assists stats. Last season, he averaged the seventh-most assists per game (8.2), while he totaled the fourth-most assists in the NBA (628).
Reacting to his role in the team, Haliburton said “That’s always been who I am ever since I can remember. I started playing point guard in fourth grade, and it’s always kind of come natural for me. I think it comes from just the people that I watched growing up. LeBron [James] was my favorite player growing up, and my dad always made me watch old Laker stuff with Magic [Johnson]. That was just fun to me — to see other people win, to see my teammates score. It just felt cool; that’s just naturally who I am.”
Though he is yet to lead his to the postseason, he did well in regular season games to keep them in the hunt. He averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists per game over 135 games career; but at the Pacers, he has shown massive improvement in his stats with career-best 18 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals average.
To improve on scoring, Haliburton is working with NBA trainer Drew Hanlen this offseason. To take the next step in his development, he is looking to add a shooting threat to his game. And if he could get more aggressive and look for his own shot, the building-phased Pacers will be a great team for the youngster.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)