Iowa State Basketball: Amongst this year’s elite PG play, Tyrese Haliburton has stood tallest

Draft outlook

Haliburton has been a clear-cut top college point guard this year. With his young age and ideal physical tools, it should come to no surprise that his game is getting such similar praise at the next level when discussing the NBA draft.

His draft stock has always received its due diligence thanks to his combination of fundamentals, size, and efficiency. When lining that up next to this year’s crop of draft prospects, that combination becomes even more important. Because of that, it’s fair to say Haliburton might not only be the top college point guard, but also the top NBA point guard prospect.

When looking at this year’s crop of elite floor general talent, one thing becomes noticeably clear: it is filled with specialists. Cole Anthony is a volume scorer, Nico Mannion strictly keeps his game outside of the paint, Tyrese Maxey is a floater guru, LaMelo Ball is an offensive genius but lacks on the other end. Each prospect is great at what they do, but no one can attack all the aspects of the game (nor does it seem like they ever will).

That’s what makes Haliburton particularly special come the 2020 NBA draft. As was earlier stated, he is a “Swiss Army knife” of a basketball player. There is little that he cannot do on the basketball floor, even at his young age. Out of all his peers in the draft, he might be the easiest to plug into any NBA offense; there’s value in that.

His ability to score at all three levels – whether if it’s off the catch, in the pick and roll, or off the dribble – is something none of the other top point guards really bring to the table at the same kind of efficiency. Haliburton doesn’t necessarily specialize at any level. For example, how he uses his three-point shot is very amateur, but he’s been continuously working on his form and the fluid-ness of his release. One can assume that should only continue to progress (i.e. Brandon Clarke).

He’s got that kind of vision where it seems he’s always operating on a different plane from the defenders around him. His sling post-entry passes are a thing of beauty. On the other side of the ball, it’s the same story. Watching him play defense is just as entertaining as watching him pick apart teams on offense. His engagement is unprecedented for point guards his age.

As are most of the things Haliburton does on the basketball court; “unprecedented for his age.” He’s a step ahead of those around him. That’s certainly the case at the college level currently, and it could remain that way when he puts on an NBA uniform come June 2020.