In a chat with the media following Indiana’s win over the Bucks on Thursday, star guard Tyrese Haliburton sent a message to his biggest critics. Speaking directly to those who criticized his jump shot coming into the league, Haliburton explained why it used to make him so mad…
“I don’t really buy into what’s a pretty jumper, what’s an ugly jumper,” said Hali. “It’s so overblown, it used to make me so mad during the draft, people were like ‘people just gonna block his jumper.’ This isn’t a video game. I don’t just press square and dudes just block it in my face.”
Haliburton’s jump shot was infamous coming out of college. With an unorthodox form that has such a low release point, Tyrese’s shot appears easily blockable, especially since he doesn’t get very high off the ground. Strangely, he also seems to hold the ball farther away from his body than most shooters. Due to these concerns, and questions about his defense potential, Haliburton fell to 12th in the draft. But in less than three seasons, he’s settled most of the doubts about his game and has become one of the most potent offensive players in the league.
Haliburton Is Silencing The Haters
Haliburton was an underdog from the start and not many people were paying attention early on. It wasn’t until his second season with the Kings that he started to break out into a potential star and it was only months later that he was sent to the Pacers. In Indiana, fans were expecting Haliburton to fade into irrelevancy on a mediocre, small-market team but he has more than held his own.
Averaging 26.9 points per game on 44% shooting from three, Tyrese isn’t just a decent shooter, he’s turned into one of the league’s best. This season, Haliburton is third in the league in made threes with a total of 71, only behind Luka Doncic and Stephen Curry. So while Hali’s form may not be the prettiest you’ve seen, it’s more than effective on the court and that’s really all that matters for a Pacers team that is hitting their stride right now.
Are The Pacers Legit?
Winning the in-season tournament would be a massive achievement for Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers franchise, but their ambition stretches far beyond the Las Vegas event. At 12-8 on the season, there is real faith that the Pacers can make a playoff run this season even if they have yet to prove it. Between Haliburton’s ascension, the interior presence of Myles Turner, and the perimeter shooting of Buddy Hield, the Pacers have all the tools to take the next step.
Of course, as the leader and face of the franchise, the pressure ultimately falls on no. 0 to fulfill this team’s ultimate potential. Fortunately, he seems more than up for the task as an NBA All-Star, an elite-level scorer, and arguably the best passer in the league. If the Pacers can just improve defensively, and move out of the bottom five in that category, then it will unlock an even higher level for this team. But even as they are now, poor defense and all, the Pacers can beat any team in the league and they demand to be taken seriously as a rising threat in the East.
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