Last season, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was named the Most Overrated Player by the players. It was a big storyline, as he won it by getting 14 percent of the vote. Haliburton would then go on to lead the Pacers to the NBA Finals and have the best clutch shooting playoffs in modern history.
This season, Haliburton sat out. He missed the entire season after tearing his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the Finals last season. Without Haliburton, Indiana finished with the second-worst record in the league. They are tied for the best odds to get the number one pick.
Despite what he did last year in the playoffs and not playing this year, he still received votes for that same distinction this season.
GettyIndiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton reacts in a game. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Pacers Guard Tyrese Haliburton Receives Votes for Most Overrated Player
In the anonymous poll published by The Athletic, Haliburton received 2.5 percent of the vote. He ended up finishing tied for 11th in the poll. There were 81 players who decided to cast votes for this poll, so that means Haliburton received a couple of votes.
Still, it’s surprising that Haliburton still has haters after what he did in the playoffs a year ago. The fact that he didn’t play all year and still got votes is also shocking. One player who faced off against him in the playoffs clearly regretted his vote for him a year ago.
“I was part of the group that said Tyrese Haliburton for most overrated, and what he did in the playoffs last year was unreal,” one of this poll’s non-voters told us. “So I’m not saying (who I think is overrated). We have a lot of really good players in this league.”
Haliburton wasn’t the only Pacers player to appear in the poll. Pascal Siakam finished ahead of Haliburton on the poll, garnering 3.7 percent of the vote. He tied for seventh in the poll, which is surprising given that he garnered an All-Star selection this season.
GettyIndiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton drives the ball. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Tyrese Haliburton Should Return Better Than Ever Next Season
While sitting out this year was painful for Haliburton, he should return better than ever next year. Not only that, but his absence might actually help the Pacers’ future. Because the team was so bad, they have the opportunity to get the first overall pick for the first time in team history.
Adding the top pick, along with Haliburton and new center Ivica Zubac, would make them an NBA title contender. Of course, there is no guarantee that the Pacers will keep that pick. If it falls out of the top four, the Clippers get the pick because of the Zubac trade.
Next season, Haliburton will have another opportunity to silence the haters that he still has once he is fully recovered from his Achilles injury. If he plays well next year, it will be hard to imagine him appearing on this poll again next season.
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