Tyrese Haliburton is not like most NBA stars. He isn’t the biggest household name, but he is certainly not a role player. That still does not detract from him being one of the best floor generals in the league currently. While his status might not be on the same level of a Steph Curry, Devin Booker, or even a Jrue Holiday as his limited playing time during the Olympics showed, Haliburton was still selected to the squad for a reason. Some may argue that him playing in a small market like Indiana could be negatively impacting his marketability as a star. For Haliburton though, it appears as if he has no plans to leave the Pacers and wants to lure future All-Stars to him as he said on the Pat McAfee Show.
“The story about me recruiting players to Indiana got blown out of proportion. They made it seem like I was the only one doing it, but everyone was recruiting. I just play in the smallest market, so when I do it, it gets magnified. That’s fine, though,” Haliburton said. “Indiana is a great market. It’s a basketball state. We’ve got a good thing going here, so if anyone wants to play with me, they’ll have to come to Indiana. I’m not going anywhere.”
Haliburton helped lead Indiana to the Eastern Conference Finals this past season. They lost to the eventual champion, Boston Celtics.
Tyrese Haliburton Says Stars Will Have to Come to Indiana if They Want to Play With Him
Tyrese Haliburton’s Career and Trajectory
Haliburton has carved out a nice career for himself thus far into his career. His resume already boasts two All-Star appearances, one All-NBA Team selection, an assists title, and an All-Rookie Team selection. Haliburton also possesses current career averages of 17.2 points, 8.7 assists, 1.5 steals per game, and an effective field goal percentage of 57.2 percent. With his current trajectory, it is safe to assume Haliburton will add more accomplishments on to his resume as his career goes on. As for his current team, the Indiana Pacers, they are constructing a roster around him that suits his talents.
Can the Indiana Pacers Become Push Through and Win Their First Title?
Indiana has taken a relatively patient approach to building a team that can contend for a title. So far, it seems to be working. They made a big splash last season trading for Pascal Siakam. Another All-Star caliber player with championship experience. He has formed a solid duo with Tyrese Haliburton. Not to mention, Myles Turner is still manning the paint and solidifying the frontcourt. However, it is the supporting cast of Indiana’s that has been a pleasant surprise. Guys like Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, and Aaron Nesmith have become the glue that holds this squad together. Considering all of this, the Pacers could be a sleeper to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals in the next few years.
