The NBA's 'most overrated player' could be on the verge of leading his team to an NBA Championship.
After being voted as the NBA's Most Overrated Player in a poll taken by his peers, Indiana Pacers all-star guard Tyrese Haliburton has been anything but that. During this current run of playoff success, Haliburton has already had his fair share of heroic moments.
In Game 5 of their 1st round matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, with just under 30 seconds remaining in overtime and down 118-114, Haliburton was fouled with 17.1 seconds left as he converted the and-1 with the made free throw, as those baskets made the score 118-117. On the ensuing possession, Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. committed a careless turnover, which gave possession to the Pacers with 10.8 seconds remaining.
The Pacers inbounded the ball, and all Haliburton did was drive the ball to the basket while being guarded by a former DPOY in Giannis Antetokounmpo as he converted a contested lay-up with 1.3 seconds remaining. The Pacers pulled off the victory and the series as they advanced to the Eastern Conference Semis, but Haliburton was far from done.
In their decisive Game 5 victory against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, Haliburton dropped a game-high 31 points to help close out that series as well. Haliburton has led this Pacers team to consecutive ECF appearances, and to question his legitimacy as a dominant player in this league is absurd, especially after his recent run of playoff success.
He is truly the perfect example of "the straw that stirs the drink," as he adapts his game to the strengths of his teammates. Haliburton is capable of isolating and scoring if the situation calls for it, but he is just the perfect fit in Carlisle's system.
The label of being overrated most likely came from the struggles he had in last season's postseason run. Haliburton was only a 24-year-old who wasn't quite ready for the moment, as he was expected to carry the Pacers in what was his very first taste of the NBA Playoffs. He has brought joy back to an organization that hasn't had success like this in over a decade, and it will be even more satisfying if they can make a run to the Finals. When Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle heard about the results of the poll and how his star guard was labeled as "overrated", he responded accordingly.
"The other guys on the list were Jimmy Butler and Giannis. I want to see those guys faces that voted for those guys. This is a (expletive) poll. Not every player even answered in the poll. Guys were able to answer if they wanted to. They were asked on camera with a microphone. The whole thing is (expletive). It's really a shameful thing. "Rick Carlisle
It has often been noted that NBA players seem to overvalue isolation and one-on-one skill, and it shows by whom the players voted for. Haliburton is a great playmaker and a highly efficient passer, which makes his game boring to some people. He also isn't the most likable player due to his trash-talking and chirping whenever his team is winning, and the Pacers have been doing that a lot lately.
His style of play may be boring, but the playmaker Haliburton is allows the game to flow through both him and his teammates as that style of play has proven to be far more conducive to winning basketball. At the end of the day, the Pacers are thriving offensively and it's all because of Haliburton. Being labeled as overrated may have been the best thing for Haliburton and the Pacers as he appears to have a point to prove to all who doubted him.