Indiana Pacers: Comparing Tyrese Haliburton to 5 generational guards
By Joe Lyon
2. Can he have the offensive prowess of Chris Paul?
When many of today’s basketball fans try to compare point guard quality, Chris Paul is the measuring stick that is often used. And the respect for his game is rightly warranted as Chris Paul is one of the greatest point guards of all time, and arguably the greatest of the generation of players currently in the NBA. But how does Tyrese Haliburton current stat line compare to Chris Paul in year three?
Paul Year Three: 21.1 points, 11.6 assists, and 2.7 steals on 49% field goal and 37% from deep.
Haliburton Year Three: 20.5 points, 10.3 assists, and 1.8 steals on 48% field goal and 43% from deep.
Chris Paul has the edge in many categories on Haliburton, but not by much. He averaged slightly more in both points and rebounds, while having significantly better numbers in the steals category. The one area in which Haliburton shines in comparison to Paul in year three is the 3-point percentage where Haliburton is outperforming Paul.
Will Haliburton be able to maintain a Chris Paul-like level of excellence across an entire career? Only time will tell. But his current trajectory doesn’t differ much from the early years for Chris Paul.