'I Could Care Less': Tyrese Haliburton Unbothered By 'Overrated' Tag From NBA Players

Tyrese Haliburton has once again come under the spotlight of the NBA media. In the beginning stages of the NBA playoffs, it was reported that in a survey conducted by 'The Athletic' among NBA players, Tyrese Haliburton was voted the most overrated player in the league. Not by a majority, but he received the highest number of votes among all players listed. 

After the Bucks vs. Pacers Game 2, Haliburton spoke to the media about this report. Either he pretended very well, or he just doesn't care about what NBA players think of him. "I must be doing something right if that's the case. I'm good. I could care less," he said.

What was more surprising was that he was listed ahead of names like Dillon Brooks and Trae Young, who have embraced the villain roles on their teams. And even the likes of Rudy Gobert, whose trade value sent shockwaves through the NBA, given the negligible impact he had on Minnesota's championship ambitions

How Tyrese Haliburton Should Respond To Such Reports

Last season, Tyrese Haliburton found his fuel in Wally Szczerbiak's criticism. Just days after Szczerbiak called him a "wannabe fake All-Star", Haliburton responded with two 20-assist games back to back. First against the Chicago Bulls (20 assists) and then against the New York Knicks (23 assists) in front of Szczerbiak, followed by two staredowns during the Knicks game with the former NBA all-star.

Similarly, Haliburton should find his fuel in all the criticism he has faced this season. Moreover, his exchanges with Damian Lillard during Games 1 and 2 show there's a new rivalry brewing in the Eastern Conference. Including last season's gameball controversy that stirred this matchup even further, the Bucks and Pacers clearly do not like each other. Hence, Haliburton should play like he has a chip on his shoulder and once again prove critics wrong. After all, Szczerbiak eventually issued a public apology to Haliburton. So if he wants to make a statement to the entire league, then he should let his game do the talking.

Pacers have won both games to start their first-round series against the Bucks, therefore retaining the home court advantage as they head to Milwaukee. Siakam has led all scorers for the Pacers in this series while averaging 24.5 points per game in the first two matchups. Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton once again proved why he was an All-Star with his back-to-back double-doubles. Haliburton has averaged 15.5 points, 12.0 assists, and 6.0 rebounds in the 2 games.

Can The Pacers Win It All This Season?

This current Pacers roster, with pieces like Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam, is arguably the best Pacers team since Paul George left. Going 2-0 up against the 2021 NBA champions (Bucks) is a strong start to the Pacers' playoff run. But the biggest hurdles in their route to a championship still await them. They could potentially face both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds (Cavaliers and Celtics, respectively) from the East en route to the Finals. 

While beating the Celtics (the defending champions) would surely cement their championship calibre, a very strong Cavaliers roster potentially awaits them in the second round. They went 3-1 up against the Cavaliers in the regular season and 2-1 up against the Celtics.

If Tyrese Haliburton leads the Pacers to beat the Bucks, the Cavaliers, and the Celtics, surely it would silence the critics. However, in my opinion, the Pacers will not win it all this season as they won't beat the Celtics in a seven-game series, even if they manage to beat the Cavaliers.