It wasn’t long ago that Tyrese Haliburton was the young star everyone rooted for. But now, with two All-Star appearances and an Olympic gold medal, he’s finding that the NBA world isn’t quite as friendly anymore, with criticism replacing some of that early praise.
With 14.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game on 34.6% shooting to start the 2024-25 NBA season, Haliburton’s early numbers aren’t exactly helping to quiet the critics. You’d think he’d get some kind of leeway, but that hasn’t been the case.
After former No. 2 overall pick Evan Turner took a shot at Haliburton, player-turned-analyst Austin Rivers has jumped in with his own critique. Rivers got pretty real about Haliburton’s game while implying that Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball currently has the edge over him.
“I would take LaMelo Ball over Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton’s resume backs it up, but when I see him play in person, he airballs three times and can’t get a shot off because he doesn’t have a bag. Haliburton is like crab dribbling around… he doesn’t have handles like that — I don’t see it.”
To be fair, Ball is incredibly talented, but he’s been too injury-prone to really show it. This year though, he’s healthy, and while Haliburton is still finding his way, Ball is off to a phenomenal start, averaging 28.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game on 43.9% shooting from the field.
It’ll be interesting to see how the season plays out for both LaMelo and Haliburton. Can LaMelo sustain his incredible production and finally stay healthy this year? At the same time, will Haliburton manage to bounce back from his early struggles and earn another All-Star appearance? If both players hit their stride, there will certainly be more comparisons between the two as the year rolls on.
