Tyrese Haliburton shows he's Team USA's most important player after sealing win
By Ryan Stano
Tyrese Haliburton played on Team USA last season during the World Cup. It was a team that unfortunately didn't even win a medal. Still, it was a great experience for Haliburton. He used that to propel himself into an All-NBA season and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Now, he's an Olympian.
Haliburton may not be the first name that basketball fans think of when they think of Team USA's roster, but that doesn't matter. He was chosen for some very specific reasons. He's a great three-point shooter and is one of the best passers in the world.
Bringing Haliburton into the fray gives this Olympic team a connector that they desperately need. They have so many scorers and guys who can just dribble into a shot. They don't have someone who can set others up. Haliburton is that guy and he just proved why he's the most important player on this team.
Tyrese Haliburton seals a victory for Team USA and shows he's the most important player
In Team USA's exhibition against Australia on Monday afternoon, Haliburton was the hero that the team needed. After they had built a 21-point lead, Team USA let the lead slip away. it was a single-digit game. Then, Haliburton came to the rescue to put it out of reach.
Haliburton hit back-to-back corner threes to put the Americans back up by double-digits. They were able to hold on from there to get the 98-92 victory. Had Haliburton not been out there to hit those shots, this team very well could have suffered an embarrassing loss.
Those were the only two shots Haliburton hit in the game, but he only attempted four total. His ability to come up clutch, make great passes, and set up his teammates makes him the most important player on the team. He's not the best, but he's the most important one.
manual
The fact that Steve Kerr had him out there closing this game in clutch time speaks volumes about how much he trusts him. You can bet he'll be out there in close games when the Olympics actually start and this team has to squeak out a game.