Pacers’ Haliburton disrespected by ridiculous ranking on “Best of NBA” list

A new list of the NBA’s 50 best current players was recently put out and Pacers fans will be surprised to see where Haliburton ranks, and not in a good way. So without further adieu, here’s the whole new list:

1. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
3. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
4. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
5. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
6. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
7. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
8. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
9. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
10. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
11. Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
12. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
13. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
14. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
15. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
16. Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
17. Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls
18. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
19. DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls
20. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
21. Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns
22. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
23. LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
24. Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
25. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
26. Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans
27. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
28. Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
29. Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
30. Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
31. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
32. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
33. James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers
34. Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
35. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
36. Dejounte Murray, Atlanta Hawks
37. Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
38. Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors
39. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
40. Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns
41. Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks
42. CJ McCollum, New Orleans Pelicans
43. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
44. Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
45. Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers
46. RJ Barrett, New York Knicks
47. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
48. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
49. Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors
50. Jordan Poole, Golden State Warriors

Thinking that Haliburton is the 48th best player in the NBA is absolutely befuddling, so let’s talk about players that shouldn’t be above Haliburton on a list like this.

Haliburton should clearly be above many of the names on this list.

There is a lot to not like about this list. The thought that Anthony Davis is lower than LaMelo Ball or Pascal Siakam is borderline irrational. But the one player I would say is most direspected by this ridiculous list is Tyrese Haliburton, who has many names on this list that have no business being above him.

Just to name a few of the more ridiculous ones: (1) RJ Barrett, (2) Anthony Edwards, (3) Jarrett Allen, (4) Andrew Wiggins, and (5) Brandon Ingram are the first few that come to mind. My gut feeling is that Haliburton is actually probably around the 25-30 ranges, around where Bam Adebayo and Darius Garland are. That seems to be an appropriate place for the best point guard in the eastern conference and 2023 all-star that for large parts of the season has led the league in assists.

Indiana Pacers: 50 greatest Pacers players [2023 update]

The Indiana Pacers are a storied franchise, even though many casual NBA fans may not realize it. But back in the ABA days, the Pacers were a force.