Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Myles Turner labels Tyrese Haliburton as NBA's best point guard

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 1/20/24

Tyrese Haliburton is enjoying a breakout season. The Indiana Pacers guard is spearheading an electric young team and helped them reach the finals of the inaugural in-season tournament.

Haliburton is unquestionably one of the most talented passers in the NBA and is a high-level scorer at the rim and on the perimeter.

When speaking to Sirius XM NBA Radio, Pacers big man Myles Turner labeled Haliburton as 'one of the best guards' he's seen in the last four or five years.

"The best point guard that I've seen in the past four or five years, honestly," Turner said. "Tyrese's ability is sky-high. He sees the floor. He sees everything. He's able to score when he wants to. But I just think a guy who wants to pass more than he wants to score is a rarity. And, he's someone who's good at both."

Where does Tyrese Haliburton rank as one of the best point guards in the NBA?

@Pacers Center @Original_Turner believes he should be at the top #BoomBaby @RickKamlaSports | @adaniels33 pic.twitter.com/XXezP5HWsq
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) January 19, 2024

Haliburton joined the Pacers toward the 2023 trade deadline as part of the deal that sent Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings. This season, he's taken a huge developmental leap, and is proving himself as one of the best primary ball-handlers in the league.

In the 34 games Haliburton has played this season, he's averaging 23.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 12.6 assists on 49.6% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from three-point range.

In an era of score-first guards, Haliburton is somewhat of a throwback. His passing ability and desire to get his teammates good shots isn't something you see around the league too often.

However, he may have some competition for the label of "best guard" in the league. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has also been surging over the past few years and is leading an incredibly talented Oklahoma City Thunder team to one of their best seasons in recent years.

Nevertheless, Haliburton is emerging as one of the most exciting talents in the NBA. It won't be long until we see his name being mentioned in All-NBA discussions.

That's good news for the Pacers, the Eastern Conference and the NBA as a whole. Until then, it will be fun watching his ascension.

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