Draymond Green strongly disputes Tyrese Haliburton being ahead of OKC star on ESPN list
Future Hall of Famer Draymond Green doesn't buy Tyrese Haliburton's being ahead of Oklahoma City Thunder standout Jalen Williams on ESPN's top 25 players under 25 list. When the list was released, fans across the NBA community began sharing their thoughts and debating whether they agreed.
The way Green sees things, Haliburton being ranked sixth while Williams is ranked ninth doesn't make much sense. On the latest episode of his "Draymond Green Show," the Golden State forward pushed back on ESPN's rankings.
While he praised Haliburton as a good player, referencing his gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer, he believes that Williams' complete game gives him the edge over the Pacers guard and many other players on the list.
“What justifies Tyrese Haliburton being in front of Jalen Williams?" He said. "Don’t get me wrong—Tyrese is a very good player, an All-Star, and an Olympic gold medalist. But when I look at this, Jalen Williams has more upside.
Jalen is 6’9″, can pass, shoot, get to the cup. Two weeks ago, he played center, then switched to point guard. When I see stuff like this, I wonder who validates it. Yes, Tyrese has done more, but Jalen Williams’ upside is higher than a lot of people on this list. Not just Tyrese—this applies to a lot of names.”
Comparing Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Williams' stats after Draymond Green argues the two young standout's spots on ESPN's list
Tyrese Haliburton has seen his numbers drop slightly this season compared to last season. Almost across the board, Haliburton's averages have dipped somewhat, with the guard going from a 20.1-point scorer to a 17.8-point scorer this year.
At the same time, he's posting the lowest field goal percentage of his career with 42.1% compared to 47.3%, while similarly shooting a career-low 34.3% from downtown.
Haliburton's assist numbers have also dropped this season as well. After posting back-to-back seasons with over ten assists per game, he's averaging just 8.4 apg.
The Pacers have also struggled to find success this season, posting a 10-14 record that sees them in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
On the flip side, Jalen Williams is having a career year, averaging career highs across the board. The OKC forward averages 21.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg and 5.0 apg, all career-high figures. At the same time, he's also averaging a career-high 2.0 spg.
The Thunder are also atop the Western Conference with a record of 17-5, looking to make a deep postseason run.