Recently, legendary college basketball coach Rick Pitino opined that traditional pass-first point guards no longer exist, going as far as to say this archetype is "totally done."
Rick Pitino: “There are no point guards anymore…Who’s the PG of the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, Thunder?…PG’s totally done…”
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) August 6, 2025
Q: “What’s Jalen Brunson?”
Pitino: “Combo scoring guard. I don’t think he’s looking for the assist. I think he’s looking to score. And thank God he is…” pic.twitter.com/gbpUb8OxJT
"There are no point guards anymore. If you find it, you'll probably describe him as a guy who can't shoot... point guard is totally done in basketball. The days of John Stockton are long gone. There are no more point guards," Pitino said.
While Pitino's comments are not completely wrong, they are heavily exaggerated. The game of basketball is a lot more versatile and closer to positionless than it was even 20 years ago. However, these types of point guards still exist in the NBA, and the Indiana Pacers have one of the best ones in Tyrese Haliburton.
Tyrese Haliburton is one of the best point guards in the game
His playstyle is not similar to a guy like John Stockton's, but Haliburton technically fits the mold of a pass-first point guard. Yes, he can shoot and score, but the bread and butter of his game is his passing, playmaking, and high basketball IQ. He is essentially a pass-first point guard to a fault with many begging for him to be more aggressive as a scorer.
The Wisconsin native has been a crucial part of Indiana's success over the past couple of seasons. Without him, they do not make it to the conference finals (twice) or the NBA Finals. During his time with the Pacers, Haliburton has established himself as one of the best point guards in the NBA. Even though he is recovering from an Achilles injury and will miss next season, he has an incredibly bright future in the league.
What makes Haliburton such a unique point guard is that he does what he does in such an efficient way. He rarely makes mistakes or turns the ball over, yet he always has the ball in his hands and is pushing the tempo. The Iowa State alum is the perfect engine in Indiana's system, and it is one of the reasons he has grown as much as he has.
Next season, the Pacers are going to feel Haliburton's absence throughout. In his place, they will rely more heavily on Andrew Nembhard. While Nembhard is fantastic as well, he is no Haliburton. Furthermore, it remains to be seen exactly what he can do in an expanded full-time role.
With Nembhard running the point, the Pacers are going to have to change things up a bit. Instead of running a fast-paced offense, they are likely going to rely more on set plays in the halfcourt. This is not ideal for Indiana, but there is potential for this to work, especially with Rick Carlisle leading the way.
In all, Haliburton's point guard abilities are what make him (and the Pacers) so special. To say there are no point guards left in the NBA anymore is simply incorrect. Pitino knows basketball and is successful at his craft for a reason, but he may need to take another look or two at Haliburton's game before committing to his statement.