Since joining the Indiana Pacers via a trade in 2022, Tyrese Haliburton has developed a solid reputation as one of the best young point guards in the game due to his excellent playmaking and facilitation skills. Last year, Haliburton led the league in assists and may have been even better this year due to his turnovers per game dropping significantly (2.3 TOV to 1.6 TOV).
In addition to the numbers, Haliburton passes the eye test. He is careful with the ball and rarely makes mistakes as the primary ball-handler. Furthermore, Haliburton is the heartbeat of the Pacers' offense, which is considered one of the best units in the NBA.
Haliburton turned 25 in February and is building a solid resume. Some have already compared him to some of the all-time greats due to the trajectory he is on. However, in a few cases, some will go a bit far and be really bold in their Haliburton discussions. In a recent take, former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas did exactly that and gave Haliburton his well-deserved recognition, but he did so in a way that some Pacers fans will likely disagree with.
Tyrese Haliburton is one of the best playmakers in the game
Recently, Arenas, who was a three-time NBA All-Star, sang his praises of Haliburton as one of the best passers of all time. In theory, few Pacers fans will disagree with this sentiment. However, in doing so, Arenas said that he thinks the Pacers guard is a better passer than legendary point guard Chris Paul. Arenas did clarify that he thinks Paul is a better all-around point guard than Haliburton, however.
Chris Paul is NOT a Top 10 passer 👀 pic.twitter.com/4KTFi7rAhv
— Gilbert Arenas (@NoChillGilZero) April 13, 2025
"Chris Paul is a great point guard...When it comes to passing, I'll have [Haliburton] up there. I'll have him higher than Chris Paul on that. I wouldn't have him [as] a better point guard than Chris Paul," Arenas said.
While Haliburton is one of the best passers currently in the NBA, many consider Paul one of the greatest passers and floor generals in league history. The future Hall-of-Famer has tallied 12,499 assists during his NBA career. This is the second-most of all time behind Utah Jazz legend John Stockton (15,806 assists).
On one hand, Arenas never said Haliburton was a better point guard than Paul, only that he is a better passer. However, even so, most would say that Paul is among the best passers the game has ever seen, especially in his prime.
Haliburton getting his recognition is a sight Pacers fans will be happy to see. Regardless, in this case, it may be a take that even many Pacers fans might not agree with.