So far in the 22-23 season, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has looked like the sky is limit for his career. There is a legitimate possibility he could go down as one of the greatest players ever to put on the Blue and Gold, a franchise with a true love for basketball. In order to do that, one must be able to stand up to scrutiny against many of the top at the position of all time. In this article, we look at 5 generational point guards and how they compare to Tyrese Haliburton early in their careers.
5. Can he shoot like Steph Curry?
Few would doubt that Steph Curry is a generational basketball player, yet alone, a generational point guard. Steph has revolutionized how the game is played and elevated the value of the 3-point shot and how teams across the league approach it. But how did Curry’s career start? How did he look in year three in comparison to Haliburton?
Curry Year Three: 14.7 points and 5.3 assists on 49% field goal percentage and 46% from deep.
Haliburton Year Three: 20.5 points and 10.3 assists on 48% field goal percentage and 43% from deep.
To be fair to Curry, he had yet to become the true 3 point phenomenon that we know today, but there was an inkling that the Warriors had something special.
When you compare the two players you quickly notice that Haliburton is much more focused on assists than Curry was early in his career. And in fact, the closest he has ever come to the assist numbers that Tyrese is putting up was 8.5 assists per game during the 13-14 season.
While Tyrese may never be the game changing guard that Curry has been, the comparison is not a far-fetched one.
4. Can he run the Indiana Pacers offense the way John Stockton did with the Jazz?
When people think of the prototypical point guard, dishing the ball to team members and being a floor general, many people immediately think of John Stockton. The praise is well warranted as Stockton led many Jazz teams, along with Karl Malone, to great success throughout his career. But how does Halibuton stack up against Stockton?
Stockton Year Three: 7.9 points, 8.2 assists, and 2.2 steals on 49% field goal shooting.
Haliburton Year Three: 20.5 points, 10.3 assists, and 1.8 steals on 48% field goal percentage.
The number that jumps immediately off the page is the points per game, where Haliburton has a clear advantage. Haliburton is scoring at a much higher clip, but the efficiency of those shots are roughly the same as Stockton in year three. However, Haliburton is even keeping pace with the assist numbers of Stockton early in his career.
Of course, it was year four that Stockton’s assist numbers really took off and to keep pace with this all-time great Haliburton will have to continue to identify ways to create for his teammates. He may never reach the assist numbers of Stockton, but given his increased point totals, it may be a bit of a wash when it is all said and done.
3. Can he bring the competitive fire of Steve Nash?
Steve Nash is another point guard that won multiple MVP’s during his time in the league. He is known for his time with multiple franchises such as the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns. Yet when the comparison is made between Haliburton and Nash in year three, how do Nash’s numbers compare?
Nash Year Three: 7.9 points, 5.5 assists, and 0.9 steals, on 36% field goal percentage.
Haliburton Year Three: 20.5 points, 10.3 assists, and 1.8 steals on 48% field goal percentage.
The comparison between the two is a clean sweep at the moment, with Tyrese having the advantage in terms of points per game, assists (almost double), and steals on much more efficient shooting. In fact, it would take another six years before Nash would average double-digit assists during a season and another two seasons before he would hit double-digit points (these would occur after he was traded back to Phoenix).
So in terms of this comparison, Tyrese seems to be ahead of schedule. That’s not to say that there won’t be regression or that the small sample size of this season won’t hold. One aspect of Nash’s game that Haliburton may need to improve is the fire and intensity he brings to every game. The level of competition to which Nash would bring his game is what made him the two-time MVP he became.
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.
1. Can he captivate the world like Magic Johnson?
If you ask many players across the NBA and worldwide, they will cite Magic Johnson as an inspiration for playing the point guard position. Magic had all-time level court vision, dominant offensive skills, and a smile and personality that what perfect for the Los Angeles market in which he played. But even given all of this, how does Tyrese Haliburton stack up against arguably the greatest point guard of all time?
Magic Year Three: 18.6 points, 9.5 assists, and 2.7 steals on 53% field goal percentage.
Haliburton Year Three: 20.5 points, 10.3 assists, and 1.8 steals on 48% field goal percentage.
Haliburton is average more points and assists than Magic Johnson during his third year. While Haliburton has both fewer steals and a lower field goal percentage. It is worth noting that Haliburton is shooting the three at a much more efficient clip, but much of that might be due to the fact that the NBA looks much different today than it did when Magic dominated the court.
To even be able to be compared to Magic Johnson is an honor, but to do so with some amount of ability to stand up is phenomenal. The Indiana Pacers might not just have one of the greatest players to ever wear the Blue and Gold, they may have one of the best players to ever pick up a basketball.