Tyrese Haliburton receives criticism from media members after Game 5 loss
By Mueez Azfar
Tyrese Haliburton performed very poorly in Game 5, and the media has been letting him hear it.
After an underwhelming 13 points on only nine shot attempts in Indiana's 91-121 loss to the New York Knicks to go down 2-3 in the series, Tyrese Haliburton has been receiving criticism left and right from talking heads and media analysts alike around the league, with most, if not all of it being centered around his lack of aggression and desire to shoot.
Truth be told, this is rather valid criticism, as the Pacers' success has been almost directly coorelated with Haliburton's aggression, with Indiana going 5-1 in games where he shoots at least 15 times and 1-4 in games where he shots less than 15 times, with one of those losses coming in Game 5.
Tyrese Haliburton’s scoring aggression, or lack thereof, has been the postseason difference for the Pacers.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 15, 2024
In games where Haliburton has shot at least 15 times, Indiana is 5-1.
When Haliburton is passive and doesn’t aggressively seek his shot, Indiana is 1-4. pic.twitter.com/QBC83VwdZU
Immediately following this game, Vince Carter, who was a guest on TNT's Inside the NBA, was asked about what he would say to Tyrese Haliburton if he got a chance to sit down with him. Carter's response was simply that he would ask Haliburton if he was ready to go home after Game 6, which he believes would wake up Haliburton right then and there. Additionally, he also mentioned that Haliburton needs to set an example to the rest of his teammates so they can follow his lead for the entire game.
Vince Carter on what he'd tell Tyrese Haliburton as the face of the team if he could have a conversation with him
— The House that Kami Built (@KamitronPTW) May 15, 2024
"The first thing I would say to him is 'You ready to go home?' And I feel like that should set the tone right there" pic.twitter.com/okk7uuicCb
Draymond Green, who was also on the TNT desk on Tuesday, followed this up by saying his piece. Green stated that Haliburton needs to continue to show effort on both sides of the floor, including on the defensive end. Haliburton has been criticized for his lack of defensive effort before, but Green took some time to pick it apart even more, mentioning certain times when Haliburton defended lazily on screens and, similar to Carter before him, mentioned that he needs to set the tone and be the leader that his teammates can follow.
Tyrese Haliburton has essentially been backed into a corner over the past day or two. While his passiveness was initially hidden behind the regular season and the fantastic play of Pascal Siakam, there is no getting around it now.
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With media members from every sports news outlet coming out to criticize Haliburton out of a strong desire to see the young star play better, it is up to him to bring his A-game on Friday.