Tyrese Haliburton: 2020 Scouting Report

Bio and Measurables:

Strengths: Tyrese Haliburton has gone from a virtually unknown highschool recruit to a legitimate lottery pick after two seasons at Iowa State, and it is no secret why. Like the other guards at the top of the draft board Haliburton is tall, standing at 6-5, which heightens his ability to see the entire floor. His court vision, in combination with his basketball IQ, supports his ability to consistently make good decisions with the basketball by either creating his own shot or finding the open teammate anywhere on the floor. In regards to complex passing, Haliburton excels at making calculated decisions when utilizing cross court or jump passes, which is essential to cutting down on live ball turnovers. Haliburton is also a dual threat in the pick and roll, as a shooter or passer, which has become an essential offensive set for any point guard looking to earn minutes in the NBA. As a shooter, he is extremely effective in the paint and from behind the arc, shooting at 41.9% from deep and 50.4% from the field in his sophomore season. Tyrese often showed his ability to hit three pointers from well beyond the three point line proving that he should have no problem succeeding beyond the arc at the next level. Combined with his size is a 7-2 Wingspan which aids in his ability to actively rebound on both ends. His size and wingspan give him an extreme amount of upside on the defense end. Already proving that he can disrupt passing lanes, generate steals and defend at a high level, being able to channel his natural ability at the NBA level could make him one of the premier defenders at the guard position in a few years. His NBA trajectory also leads to his final strength, potential. As someone who commanded the floor on both ends he played like a star while also being the “glue guy” at Iowa State doing a little bit of everything. At 20 years old if Haliburton can continue to develop in an NBA system the sky is the limit.

Weaknesses: With everything that Haliburton already and could bring to the table for the NBA team that drafts him he also comes with some kinks in his game. Even though Haliburton is a dynamic passer and finisher around the rim he is extremely reliant on his right hand. If you can force him left he usually pass out of the drive because he is not a confident finisher from the his weak side. Furthermore, there is a large question mark surrounding his jumpshot. He has an extremely low release point and does not shoot the ball quickly making his shot look very unorthodox. As the game speeds up at the next level it will be interesting to see if Haliburton will have the time to get his jumpshot off or if it will have to be tweaked to be viable at the next level. Haliburton also struggles to shoot off the dribble or from mid-range. Even though he can finish at the rim he does not have a great first step and has to work hard to get around defenders. When he arrives at the rim his lack of explosiveness and bounce coupled with his slender frame makes him stray away from contact. Defensively, he has a tendency to jump for pumpfakes due to a lack of discipline. Even though he has the ability to turn his hips and stay with his man he negates his defensive potential when he leaves his feet, often fouling on the trail instead of being able to recover. Due to his lack of strength he also struggles when he has to defend the pick and roll, often getting backed down into the paint. These issues could hinder his rookie season and cost him essential development minutes at the next level if they are not addressed.

External Factors: He has no lingering external factors that may impact his ability to develop at the next level. Haliburton is cousins with former NBA player Eddie Jones.

Medical History: In early February, prior to the ending of the season due to COVID, Haliburton suffered a fractured left wrist that would sideline him for the season. The injury occurred to Haliburton’s off-hand so it should not have any lingering effects on his shooting ability or draft stock.

Summary: Overall, it is clear why Haliburton is projected to go in the middle of the lottery. His size and wingspan make him a physical anomaly at the guard position and coupling that with his passing, scoring and basketball IQ, he is poised to captain any team that selects him. Often referred to as a glue guy he does a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor and does most things well. During his time at Iowa State he showed how rapidly he can progress if given the chance, stuffing the stat sheet his sophomore year and showing off NBA range from behind the arc. Haliburton is a dual threat in the pick and roll as a shooter and passer, having no trouble making the correct decision even if it means making passes cross court or in the air. On the other hand, he does have some major question marks in his game. His struggle to hit shots off the dribble and his reliance on only being able to finish on the right side in the half court need to be improved if he is going to find minutes on an NBA team. On the point of Haliburton’s jumpshot, it is slow and it is unorthodox but in my opinion “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it”. Haliburton shot over 40% from deep this year and even though his shot is unorthodox I do not believe that any NBA development group should try to tweak it in anticipation for the next level. If they begin to see that his current jumper does not work at the next level, via summer league or preseason, they can then begin to work to adjust it. Haliburton has the potential, physical attributes and basketball IQ to become the next premier point guard in the NBA. If his jumpshot is found to be viable at the next level and he begins to become more comfortable with his left hand, he may just be the steal of the draft.