Tyrese Haliburton produced another mesmerizing performance in the NBA Playoffs, this time taking down the New York Knicks.
Entering Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks, Tyrese Haliburton embraced the villain role.
Haliburton lived up to the hype, scoring 31 points in the Indiana Pacers‘ stunning overtime win, a 138-135 victory.
He let them know it too, with a memorable Reggie Miller ‘choke’ celebration, hammering home his heroics and the New York Knicks’ misery.
Haliburton is averaging 18.7 points per game in the playoffs, 5.4 rebounds and 9.5 assists.
And there are a fair few teams left with regrets over the 25-year-old, despite Stephen A. Smith’s claims he is not a superstar.
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty ImagesGolden State Warriors liked Tyrese Haliburton pre-draft
Tyrese Haliburton was drafted in 2020 with the 12th overall selection, with the Sacramento Kings making the pick.
They controversially traded him in a package for Domantas Sabonis, a deal that has worked out for the best for the Indiana Pacers.
The Kings are not the only team with regrets over Haliburton. The Golden State Warriors saw his clear potential too.
Speaking in 2023, former Warriors general manager Bob Myers told ESPN [via NBC] that Haliburton made a seriously strong impression in a pre-draft workout.
Myers explained: “Let’s talk about that. That workout was a few miles from here in Vegas, myself, Steve Kerr, Joe Lacob.
“He did what he does. He made a ton of shots and we looked at each other and said ‘he might be pretty good.’ Different kind of shot, kind of a set shot, but he made them all.”
Myers says he was really impressed with how Haliburton came across when he spoke to them following the workout.
“What bothers me more than anything was his workout was good (but) when we met with him after, I should have known then because of how he is as a person and as a leader.
“Because you meet with people, you talk to them. But that conversation left a mark because of how smart he is and how confident (he is). It’s not fake, it’s not arrogant, it’s confidence.”
Warriors committed to James Wiseman at two
The Golden State Warriors held the number two pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and were simply more confident in other prospects.
They selected James Wiseman at number two, a decision that ended up being a costly miss, with the player traded away and cut by the Pacers earlier this year.
The Warriors also passed on LaMelo Ball and Denis Avdija among others, while it was later claimed they could have traded up for Anthony Edwards and chose not to.
And with Tyrese Haliburton going from strength to strength, the Warriors were eliminated in the last round, amid a lack of depth behind Steph Curry.