(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers is one of the best NBA players some fans may not know about.
He showed plenty of promise in his first two seasons in the league, but ever since the Sacramento Kings traded him to the Pacers last season, he has blossomed.
This year he put up 20.7 points, 10.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from 3-point range, which earned him his first All-Star nod.
It made him the first player in league history to average 20 points and 10 assists while shooting at least 40 percent from downtown.
Tyrese Haliburton blossomed into a star this season pic.twitter.com/b4eI8x94jk
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 11, 2023
Haliburton, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 185 pounds, was the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by Sacramento.
He comes from some decent stock, as his cousin Eddie Jones was a three-time All-Star in the 1990s and early 2000s, most notably with the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, and Miami Heat.
The Kings dramatically reshaped their roster last season when they shipped out Haliburton, sharpshooter Buddy Hield, and veteran big man Tristan Thompson for three players, including Domantas Sabonis.
Some wondered what they were doing at the time, but the deal has paid off, as they have made the playoffs as the third seed in the Western Conference while Sabonis has become an All-Star.
Meanwhile, although Indiana won just 35 games this year, it has hope for the future thanks to Haliburton, as well as Bennedict Mathurin, a solid rookie forward.
Continued improvement from Haliburton next season and beyond could singlehandedly get the Pacers back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The post Tyrese Haliburton Took An Impressive Step Forward This Season appeared first on The Cold Wire.