Former Celtics assistant throws major shade at Tyrese Haliburton - "Adulting is acknowledging that Tyrese is mid"
Amid the Indiana Pacers' slow start to the season, former 10-year NBA veteran Evan Turner called star point guard Tyrese Haliburton's skill level into question.
Indiana was one of the NBA's biggest surprises last season, making an unexpected Eastern Conference finals run as a sixth seed (47-35). Despite getting swept by the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in Round 3, many expected the upstart squad to take another step this season.
Instead, the Pacers have started 1-3, with Haliburton delivering inconsistent production. During Monday's 119-115 road loss to the Orlando Magic, the two-time All-Star nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 19 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. However, he shot below 45.0% (6-for-15, 40.0%) for the fourth time in four outings.
Meanwhile, Haliburton was overshadowed by Magic star forward Paolo Banchero. The third-year player tallied a career-high 50 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and three triples, shooting 61.5%, leading his squad to a four-point victory.
During the contest, Turner, who most recently served as a Celtics assistant coach (2020-2021), took aim at Haliburton's billing as Indiana's franchise player.
"Adulting is acknowledging that Tyrese is mid," Turner said.
Through four contests, Haliburton is averaging 14.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 3-pointers per game, shooting 33.9% and 26.5% from deep.
He will likely need to improve his shooting efficiency considerably if the Pacers hope to replicate last season's success.
Tyrese Haliburton not feeling like himself amid early-season production decline
While Tyrese Haliburton hasn't matched last season's production thus far, he noted on Sunday that he hasn't felt right to begin Year 5.
"No," Haliburton said when asked if he feels like himself on the court.
However, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said he had "zero concern" about his star player rounding into form.
While Haliburton shot 1-for-16 (6.25%) from 3 over his first two outings, he has shot far better the last two, going 8-for-18 (44.4%). Meanwhile, he recorded his first double-digit assist performance on Monday after leading the league in that category last season (10.9 apg).
So, despite Indiana's three-game losing streak, Haliburton appears to be trending upward. However, the Pacers (1-3) will likely face another tough challenge on Wednesday when they host an undefeated Celtics squad (4-0).
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