Black Hole Hoops Week 4: Tyrese Haliburton

Disclaimer: Black Hole Hoops is now releasing every Monday. Stay tuned to see our analysis of the best performances every week.

Nothing known to man can escape a black hole. Once something crosses its event horizon, there is no hope. Not even light can manage to break away. Similarly, there are times when basketball players become inescapable forces of nature, their will dominating a single game. These moments deserve to be cataloged and remembered. So welcome to Black Hole Hoops, a segment dedicated to highlighting the best performance from across the NBA from week to week.

The Indiana Pacers have cemented themselves as one of the most high octane offenses in the NBA this season. They play with pace, they constantly move, and the ball just pops and zips in their halfcourt. All of that can largely be attributed to the play of Tyrese Haliburton, the young point guard quickly proving he is the future of the position in the league. Across back to back games, Haliburton recorded 32 assists and zero turnovers. According to stats from Cleaning the Glass at the time of writing, he only turns the ball over 8.5% of his possessions, and he records an assist 49.4% of the time. He is unquestionably at the top of the league in both categories. The point guard position has been and will continue to be the most important position in the game. Even with the emergence of positionless basketball, it is still paramount to have a player who can 1.) manage the game (initiate actions and sets, be the coach on the floor, etc.) and 2.) read the room (make adjustments, react to changes, think on the fly). Haliburton does both of those at the highest level and he’s only 23 years old. He gets the nod for Black Hole Hoops in week four of NBA action, and here’s why.

Hali’s week four in-season tournament (IST) matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers is the perfect encapsulation of what he looks like at the peak of his powers. He ended the game with 15 assists, bolstered by 33 points, and topped off with two steals and a block. He committed only one foul and he never turned the ball over. It is one of the best games we will see all season. Haliburton’s true strength is his dynamism, whether he is attacking a defense himself or setting his teammates up to score. His second assist of the game is a good example of his ability to quickly read situations. Watch and listen to the video below.

He also does little things when passing the ball that just help it find its destination much more easily. For example, he throws this little no look to get Toppin an uncontested layup in transition. And it’s not like he’s the only guy able to throw this pass or anything, but it’s important for his team that he has this ability so they can generate the easiest points possible.

But make no mistake, he has some higher level reads in his game as well. The skip pass is one of the most powerful tools in a passer’s arsenal, allowing the offense to nearly instantly put defenses in a compromised position. It is also one of the most difficult passes to make, especially at the professional level. Beating the length and quickness of defenders at that level requires perfect timing and precise aim. Thankfully for the Pacers, Haliburton has both.

Or this pass here. At Full Court Dime, we appreciate the art of “fake a pass to make a pass.” Haliburton gave a textbook example of its effectiveness, using a subtle head fake/ ball fake combo to freeze the defense long enough to again find Obi Toppin near the rim.

All the passing prowess in the world can’t help a player if his teammates don’t take advantage, though. Haliburton is Obi Toppin’s favorite human (probably), but he isn’t the only one who gets easy points due to the passing prodigy. For example, he got Aaron Nesmith some easy points in the fourth quarter when the defense scrambled by punishing a help defender who helped just a little too much.

Or later in the fourth quarter when he found Myles Turner for a wide open three ball to put the Pacers up  by six points with three minutes left to play.

And I’m sure some of you are thinking “There’s nothing special about that pass, he threw the ball to the open guy. Nothing ‘audacious’ there.” However, think about this: how many 23 year old guards would have thrown it instead of shooting? Moreover, how many 23 year old guards who shoot a career average of 40.3% from three make that pass? I’ll tell you how many: very few. Haliburton is a special talent because of his ability coupled with his intelligence. Because it’s not like he was having a hard time finding his shot. In fact, here are his first five shots of the game for proof.

Haliburton is a true three-level scorer. For further proof, this is his shot profile when Indiana gets into their halfcourt offense.

While this game against Philly was mostly an onslaught from beyond the arc, make no mistake: Tyrese Haliburton can get a bucket from almost anywhere he pleases. A large contributor to that ability is his aforementioned passing powers, freezing defenders long enough to get himself open looks. Don’t forget, I said at the top of the article that he managed to get himself 33 points WHILE ALSO getting the 15 assists I’ve focused on. Every player may have weaknesses, but not every player is as hard to plan for as Tyrese Haliburton. It brings me great pleasure to award him the Black Hole Hoops title for week four, and I look forward to seeing more brilliant basketball from him and his Pacers this season.