Tyrese Haliburton has earned plaudits from Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson after the Indiana Pacers guard played a huge role in the team’s 121-112 Game 1 stunner last Sunday.
The reigning NBA Coach of the Year compared Haliburton to LeBron James and James Harden. Atkinson also called out The Athletic’s anonymous player poll last month, in which Haliburton gained the most votes for the “most overrated player” tag.
“So I think he’s one of the elite guards in this league, that poll, I don’t know those guys. They must not be watching the same film I’m watching,” Atkinson said about Haliburton via Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal.
“I think he’s one of the hardest, hardest covers in (the league), elite because he’s got both. He can score and then he’s a lead passer. Elite jumper. It reminds me of the LeBrons of the world, the James Hardens of the world. They can just fire passes on a dart to any spot on the court,” he added.
How Tyrese Haliburton did in Game 1 between the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers
Tyrese Haliburton looked far from the “overrated” player he was in Game 1, as the Indiana Pacers star notched 22 points, three rebounds, 13 assists, and three blocks on 9-for-15 shooting from the field last Sunday.
He hit the go-ahead three-pointer in the final period to spark a 15-4 run. Haliburton also made a crucial defensive stop with less than three minutes left by blocking Max Strus’ three-point attempt and converting it into a layup for a 10-point lead.
“I thought we did a good job when that ‘Cavalanche’ was on the way. We did a great job of weathering that,” Haliburton said after Game 1.
