Championship-winning head coach praises Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton
Rick Carlisle knows what it takes to win a championship in the NBA. He also understood the rebuilding job he was taking on when he agreed to return to the Indiana Pacers as head coach.
However, the addition of Tyrese Haliburton via a trade deadline deal in 2022 has quickly transformed his team into a potential playoff roster.
During a recent appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Carlisle revealed what makes Haliburton such a special talent.
"He's a great young player," Carlisle said. "Certainly will be an All-Star this year. I would expect he's going to be All-NBA. He's the kind of guy you can build a team around because he influences winning in so many ways. He can put up a 30- or 40-point night. He's a connector. He's going to be a 10-12 assists guy per night. He makes guys around him better. He connects with his teammates. He connects with the fans, the community and the organization. Those things make him very, very special."
Haliburton has long been considered a future star. His infectious personality and exceptional on-court skills make him one of the most likable players in the league.
However, his hot start to the season, coupled with the additional exposure of the in-season tournament, has seen his popularity rapidly increase. A win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday would send the hype surrounding him into overdrive.
That's what both Haliburton and the Pacers want, though. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Haliburton is aiming to use his growing reputation around the NBA as a recruiting tool for the Pacers.
He wants to have a similar franchise-altering impact as what Giannis Antetokounmpo has with the Milwaukee Bucks.
"Tyrese Haliburton wants to have that kind of impact in Indiana," Wojnarowski said. "... Haliburton's mission right now is to use this tournament, use this season, to start making the case to players around the league, 'come play with me in Indiana.'"
The Pacers are a team on the rise. They have a plethora of young talent that has shown consistent improvement, both individually and collectively. Players around the league will take notice, especially given the Pacers' enjoyable brand of basketball. Haliburton's presence will be the icing on the cake and the biggest draw of them all.
Carlisle is right; Haliburton is the type of player you can build a team around. It would appear Haliburton wants to make that happen and is doing everything in his power to make Indiana an attractive destination.
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