Tyrese Haliburton finished the season early due to a wrist injury in February. In the 22 games he played this season, Haliburton averaged 15.2 PPG, 6.5 APG, 6 RPG, 2.5 SPG, and 2.8 TOPG on shooting splits of 50/42/82.
I was able to see Haliburton in person in the Big 12 opener when he recorded a 20 point triple double at TCU in an overtime loss. In the following clip, you can see how he displayed almost every element of his game: athleticism, ability to get to the rim at ease, finishing ability at the rim, P&R passing, disrupting the passing lanes, and spot up shooting. The final play shows his need to improve shooting off the dribble, as he struggles to quickly get his feet set and get the shot off. You can find more details about that game here, as well as a video summary below:
Here is the full scouting report:
Height/Weight: 6’5/ 175
Wingspan/ standing reach: N/A (will update after the combine)
Hand size: N/A
Position: PG
College/ country: Iowa State
Tools: Athleticism, IQ, defense
Pros:
- Excellent size/length for PG
- Great vision
- Good passer on the move
- Excellent rebounder for a guard
- Great instincts and feel for the game
- Good finisher at the rim
- Excellent quickness and quick first step
Cons:
- Unorthodox jump shot form
- Shooting off the dribble
- Goes for the home run play too often
- Needs to add strength/weight
- Plays out of control at times
Overall: Tyrese Haliburton is a two-way pass-first point guard with excellent size. While he needs to add weight to his skinny frame, he is a great athlete who knows how to compensate for his weaknesses. His jump shot is going to be a make-or-break attribute in the NBA due to his unorthodox set shot that limits him off the dribble. However, like Delon Wright, Haliburton can be good as a shooter if he takes wide open 3s exclusively. Haliburton’s free throw percentage suggests the shooting is likely to translate, which is something that separates him from previous college players with unorthodox shooting forms and high 3P% of the past.
Haliburton was a one-man show at Iowa State as a sophomore. He had to do everything, but primarily excelled at running the offense efficiently, pestering ball handlers defensively, getting to the rim, and always being at the right place at the right time. Haliburton also knows how to use his athleticism effectively. Despite sometimes playing out of control at times, he isn’t reckless with his body and understands when to beat a player with athleticism and when to beat his opponent with sharp decision making. Ultimately Haliburton needs to prove he can continue to be effective even with his jumper potentially being inconsistent, especially early in his career, and that he can add strength to handle ball-hawking defenders in the NBA.
NBA Comparison: Floor: Delon Wright; ceiling: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Projected draft range: 5-12
Fit with Mavericks:
While Haliburton is unlikely to be available for the Mavs in any capacity, Haliburton would play a similar role to Delon Wright, making Wright potentially immediate expandable. The area where Haliburton would certainly be an improvement over Wright is in his playmaking. While Delon Wright looks to drive to the rim first, Haliburton looks to pass first, which would open up ball movement. If the Mavs see Haliburton realistically available in the draft and can select him, they would almost have to make the move. Having a Delon Wright type of player with more upside under control for 4+ years would do wonders for Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Haliburton is a glue guy that every championship team needs.
