NBA rankings, whether it’s the top 10, 20, or even 100, are always a hot topic in basketball circles. While names like Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo consistently occupy the top spots, there’s always room for a new name to slide into that conversation. For Matt Moore and Brandon Anderson of Action Network, Tyrese Haliburton is that guy.
Last season, the Indiana Pacers topped the NBA in scoring at 123.3 points per game and posted a 121.0 offensive rating, second only to the Boston Celtics. Haliburton was the engine behind their offense, facilitating and making sure everything flowed smoothly. His averages of 20.1 points and 10.9 assists on 47.7% shooting from the field summed it all up.
With Indiana doubling down on Haliburton as the focal point and keeping most of their roster intact for the upcoming season, there’s little reason to think their offense won’t stay elite or even improve. Now, if Haliburton can sustain his production from last season while the team thrives, you can bet there will be some serious conversations about his place among the top players in the NBA.
However, that scenario wouldn’t surprise Action Network, as they pegged the Pacers point guard as the sixth-best player in the NBA, ranking him just a hair behind Jokic, Giannis and Doncic, and already ahead of veterans like LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
“This will ruffle some feathers, but hear us out. Haliburton led the league in assists per game and orchestrated the most explosive offense. The Celtics had the best offense because of their floor, but if you need 150 to win a game, you want Haliburton’s Pacers offense. He was the best player on a team that made the conference finals regardless of circumstance.
Haliburton’s efficiency dipped because of a midseason injury he tried to play through so he could get to the 65-game minimum. I expect a full return to 50-40 splits for him and maybe a 50-40-90 season while leading the league in assists. Haliburton is Evolutionary Nash. Get on board that he’s as impactful as the results show he is. — (Moore)”
