The entire basketball world spends the dead period of the offseason just waiting for the NBA to return. But while they wait, the FIBA World Cup rolls on, and Indiana Pacers fans can take solace in the fact that Tyrese Haliburton has looked amazing.
Haliburton has been a standout performer for Team USA this year despite coming off the bench. At the time of writing this, the squad has lost just one game (to Lithuania) but faces an elimination contest against Italy on Tuesday morning.
With all of the hype around Haliburton and the USA’s World Cup squad, an interesting question can be asked – which players stick out the most as the best fits next to Haliburton?
If the Pacers could choose any player from Team USA to steal to play alongside Haliburton, who would it be? Let’s rank the top five.
5 Team USA teammates Pacers wish they could pair with Tyrese Haliburton: 5. Jalen Brunson
As one of the best players on Team USA, it was too hard to leave Jalen Brunson off this list, even though he and Tyrese Haliburton play the same position.
While things could get a bit clunky in the backcourt with both Brunson and Haliburton, we’ve seen both players play next to other ball-dominant players.
Haliburton played alongside De’Aaron Fox with the Sacramento Kings, and Brunson played on the Dallas Mavericks next to Luka Doncic. It may not be ideal, but they could do it.
The awkward fit is why Brunson comes in at rank five on this list, but he’s too talented to be left off completely. A backcourt of Brunson and Haliburton would create serious problems for opposing defenses.
Hypothetical starting lineup: Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson, Bruce Brown, Jarace Walker, Myles Turner