Tyrese Haliburton takes unwanted crown from Trae Young as NBA peers name Pacers star 'most overrated player'
Tyrese Haliburton is one of the young stars that the NBA has seen ascend the ranks over the last few years. The Pacers point guard has his team in position to make another run in the postseason after making it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
However, the 6-foot-5 guard isn't as respected as other players and was voted as the league's most overrated player by his peers in a poll conducted by The Athletic. Haliburton took the mantle from Trae Young, who had received the unpleasant honor for the past two seasons. Young finished in the top-three for the third consecutive season.
Joining the All-Star guards in the top 20 were Rudy Gobert, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks.
Tyrese Haliburton's position at the top of the list is interesting. Stats suggest he is one of the best point guards in the league, but the rest of the NBA doesn't seem to be convinced. Some of it might have to do with the postseason run that vaulted Haliburton into stardom last season. The Indiana Pacers faced teams with injured stars in the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks in last year's playoffs.
Additionally, Haliburton's inclusion on Team USA over players like Jalen Brunson and Jaylen Brown turned heads.
That, combined with the fact that a lingering hamstring injury hampered him in the first half of the season, could have players around the league thinking that Haliburton's talent has been overblown. However, the guard has a chance to prove the doubters wrong with another successful showing in the playoffs.
How can Tyrese Haliburton prove NBA players wrong in the postseason?
Tyrese Haliburton is off to a good start in the 2025 playoffs, finishing three rebounds short of a triple-double in the Pacers' Game 1 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in their first-round series. Haliburton had a confrontation with Bucks point guard Damian Lillard during the game, prompting Lillard to issue a warning to Haliburton that he is coming back with a vengeance.
Haliburton's Indiana Pacers are as dangerous as any team in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but will have their hands full dealing with Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks as the series progresses.